Truth or Fiction?
by forensicsfan
Summary: COMPLETE Sara needs a date to attend her friend's wedding.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Don't own them. Didn't create them. Don't profit from them. Please read and review.  
  
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As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she instantly regretted them. Why she couldn't just suck it up and go to her friend's wedding alone, was beyond her. She'd gone to friends weddings alone plenty of times before. If she was being honest with herself, she would have to admit that the reason she didn't want to go alone to this particular wedding was because this was the wedding of her college roommate Chloe and the man that Chloe just happened to be marrying was the same man that Sara had dated in college, in fact the man that Sara had been engaged to for a short time before she decided she wanted to go to grad school. This was destined to be an awkward weekend and she most certainly did not want to go alone.  
  
That's where Nick came in. They were good friends. She trusted him. Part of her expected that he would say no when she asked if he would come with her to the wedding. Part of her hoped that he would, although she didn't actually expect that he would. So when he'd grinned at her widely and replied that he'd love to come, she went into a tailspin.  
  
It wasn't as if she'd asked him on a date, they'd done things together on any number of occasions, they'd even gone to the department Christmas party together a couple of times, but then again, the wedding was in San Diego at the Hotel Del Coronado, and they'd be spending the weekend there. Together. On the beach. Alone.  
  
If Sara was honest, she'd have to admit that she had fallen for Nick. But honesty with herself was the last thing she wanted right now. She tried to reason a way to get herself out of the situation altogether, but she couldn't find one that wouldn't either cause her to admit what she was feeling toward Nick, or completely hurt his feelings.  
  
So here she was, waiting for him to pick her up. Pacing nervously around her apartment, hoping that the entire weekend wouldn't be a disaster.  
  
A knock sounding at the door broke her from her reverie. She opened the door to reveal Nick. He stood there grinning at her with a faded pair of jeans on and a gray Rice University T-shirt. "Ready for a road trip?"  
  
She chuckled at him. "Are you going to be this perky all weekend?" She turned to grab her bags, but Nick being the gentleman that he was, beat her to it. She rolled her eyes at his chivalrous gesture.  
  
He laughed good naturedly. "Are you going to be this crabby all weekend?"  
  
She shot him what was intended to be a glare, but she ended up laughing instead. That was the kind of effect he had on her. She couldn't stay mad long when she was with Nick and that was why she knew in her heart of hearts that she was in love with him, even if she couldn't admit it to herself consciously.  
  
They climbed into the SUV and headed west toward San Diego. Nick turned the radio on and began singing along to a song Sara didn't know. She rolled her eyes as she realized the radio was tuned to a country station. This had the potential to be a really long ride, but at the moment, despite the country music, she found Nick rather amusing as he strayed off key every now and then. Sara couldn't help but giggle.  
  
Nick flashed her a grin and continued singing along with Toby Keith. When the song was over, he turned the radio down and glanced over at her. "So, tell me about this friend of yours that's getting married."  
  
Sara felt ill. How could she not realize that the entire story of her failed relationship with Ben would come out this weekend? "Uh, Chloe was my roommate in college. She was premed and then decided she wanted to pursue education instead."  
  
Nick raised a curious eyebrow at her. "Were you close? I'm assuming you at least kept in touch since we're driving all the way to San Diego to attend her wedding."  
  
Sara nodded and tried to feign a smile. "We were close throughout college and then sort of drifted. You know how that goes. You start a career and you just don't see people as often."  
  
Nick nodded, but as Sara studied him she somehow doubted that he ever drifted from people. That was just how Nick was. Once a friend, always a friend.  
  
"She called me up about a month ago and told me she was getting married and wanted to make sure I was going to be there." Sara continued. "I guess she decided that everyone she ever knew needed to be there on her big day."  
  
Nick chuckled. "She must think he's some guy then."  
  
Sara didn't say anything. She glanced out the window and watched as the desert landscaped whipped by.  
  
"You don't like this guy do you?" Nick queried her. He knew her well enough to pick up on her nonverbal cues.  
  
Sara cleared her throat and looked back at him. "Uh, it's complicated."  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess, you dated him."  
  
Sara chuckled wryly. "Sort of."  
  
Nick stole glances at her over the next few minutes before speaking again. "This guy hurt you, didn't he?"  
  
Sara turned to face Nick as he drove. "I was engaged to Ben. When I decided to go to grad school, he decided he didn't want to wait that long to get married, so he broke up with me."  
  
Nick let out a low whistle. "That bites."  
  
Silence reigned for a while as they got closer to California. Nick turned toward her and grinned. "He was an idiot, you know."  
  
Sara looked at him quizzically. "Huh?"  
  
"This Ben guy. He's an idiot for not waiting for you." Nick turned his attention back to driving and Sara silently wondered what he meant by that. Whether he just wanted to cheer her up or if there was something more behind his comment.  
  
Neither of them brought the subject up again the rest of the drive. When they finally pulled into the driveway of the Hotel Del Coronado, they were tired. Nick handed the keys to the valet and they unloaded their luggage. As they made their way across the lobby, a shrill voice called out. "Sara!"  
  
Nick turned to see a blond woman rushing towards them and enveloping Sara in a hug. He smiled. This must be Chloe.  
  
As Sara pulled out of the hug, she gestured toward Nick. "Chloe this is Nick Stokes. Nick, this is Chloe Stratton."  
  
Chloe grinned at Sara. "You didn't tell me your boyfriend was so adorable, but then you always did have good taste. How long have you two been dating?"  
  
A look of mortification spread across Sara's face and she opened her mouth to correct her friend just as Nick put his arm around Sara's shoulder and addressed Chloe. "Sara's the one that's the catch here." He glanced down at Sara with a grin. "We've been together, what is it? About seven months now, darlin?" His twang was exceptionally thick.  
  
He squeezed her shoulder as a man, who Nick surmised could only be Ben from Sara's stiff body posture, approached.  
  
Sara found her voice and put a smile on her face as she glanced up at him. "Yeah, that's right, baby."  
  
Chloe was all smiles as Ben approached. "Sara, you remember Ben. Of course you remember each other; I mean you two were engaged!"  
  
Ben nodded at Sara stiffly and regarded Nick with suspicion. Nick extended his hand. "Nick Stokes."  
  
The two men shook hands and then Chloe took over the show all over again. "Ok, I've got all the rooms assigned. I think they've got you in 411." She flitted over to the desk and got the key. She returned and handed it over to Sara. "Go get settled, we've got a rehearsal dinner and you both need to be there. We're eating outside at seven."  
  
Sara tried to keep a smile on her face, but at the moment she felt the world spinning out of control and its destination seemed to be straight into the pit of hell. How else could the day get any worse? She was at her former fiancé's wedding to her former best friend and she was going to have to share a hotel room with her coworker that she just happened to be in love with. No problem. If she could have arranged for a tidal wave, now would have been the time for it to arrive. Of course there was still time for a catastrophic earthquake to hit. 


	2. Telling Stories

Nick could tell Sara was about ready to panic. He simply squeezed her shoulder as Chloe and Ben turned and walked over to greet some other arrivals. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Let's get settled."  
  
They made their way to Room 411 in silence. Sara's nerves were working overtime. How in the hell was she going to explain this one to Nick. Sharing a hotel room was not part of the deal. She thought she'd made it clear that she was bringing a friend, not a boyfriend. Leave it to Chloe though, this was just her style, and now that they'd begun the charade, it would be next to impossible to convince anyone that she and Nick weren't dating. At least she wouldn't be getting pity stares from Ben. She sensed that he bristled slightly when he had met Nick. That was Ben though, if he didn't get what he wanted, he didn't want anyone else to have it either.  
  
As they entered the hotel room and the bellhop had closed the door behind them, Nick turned toward Sara. "Hey, you doing ok?"  
  
She looked up and met his gaze. Dread was written all over her face. "Uh, nothing crawling under the carpet won't take care of." She gestured her hand toward nowhere in particular. "I'm sorry about this. I should have figured Chloe would pull something like this when I told her I was bringing a friend."  
  
He smiled at her softly. "Sara, it's no big deal." He stepped toward her and put his hand on her shoulder. "You need a boyfriend for the weekend, you've got one."  
  
She raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Do you do this often in your spare time?"  
  
He chuckled. "Sar, seriously, I know what its like, only for me it's usually a member of my family who's getting married and they all wonder why I can't just settle down. Maybe you can return the favor sometime." There was a hint of teasing in his voice.  
  
For the first time, Sara realized there was only one bed in the room. Panic flashed across her face again.  
  
Nick grinned at her raising both of his eyebrows as he pointed at the couch. "I'll just sleep over there."  
  
Sara glanced over to where he was pointing and nodded, finally letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding.  
  
Nick kissed her forehead and chuckled. "You want to go for a walk on the beach?"  
  
She shook her head as she looked directly at him. "Uh, I think I'm going to take a shower, we only have 45 minutes until we're supposed to eat and I'm feeling a little rumpled and sticky."  
  
"Ok, I'm just gonna go wander around a little, I'll be back in a little while." He flashed her a grin worthy of the State of Texas before heading out into the hallway.  
  
Sara made her way to the bathroom and took a shower. She felt a bit more relaxed as she got dressed for dinner, but still felt dread taking up residence in the pit of her stomach as she thought about the rest of the weekend and all the people who would be at the wedding.  
  
Nick returned about 15 minutes before they needed to make their way outside for the rehearsal dinner. He sucked his breath in involuntarily as he looked at Sara. The number of times he'd seen her in a dress was few and far between, and this dress, well, it did things for her in all the right places.  
  
She turned around to witness his bewildered expression and chuckled. "What? Shocked to see me in a dress?"  
  
Nick shook his head, not quite finding his voice as he stuttered. "Uh, no, you, uh, look incredible." He went over to the closet where he'd hung up his clothes and took out a pair of black slacks and a deep blue long sleeved button down shirt. "I'm just going to go change."  
  
Sara smiled as Nick disappeared into the bathroom. If her black dress had gotten a reaction like that out of Nick, she knew it was the right dress for the evening. She didn't need anyone feeling sorry for her because Ben was marrying Chloe, and in that dress, she didn't think pity was something anyone was going to be giving her.  
  
Nick emerged a few minutes later and grinned at Sara as he pulled his shoes on. "Ready to knock them dead, Sidle?"  
  
She raised an eyebrow mischievously. "That's the general idea. The last thing I want is for anyone to feel sorry for me because Ben and Chloe are getting married."  
  
Nick looked at her from head to toe and then grinned at her. "Trust me, Sara; no one is going to be feeling sorry for you in that dress. You look amazing." He offered her his arm as they left the hotel room.  
  
She smiled softly as she took his arm. "Thanks."  
  
They made their way out to where tables had been set up on the beach. Sara felt panic rising once again as she began to recognize people. Nick took her hand, giving it a squeeze. He leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Just remember, I'm here for you." He kissed her cheek.  
  
Sara hung onto Nick for dear life as she was overwhelmed with old college friends, some of which were surprised that she was there considering what had happened between her and Ben. All the while, Nick stood next to her, holding her hand and squeezing it occasionally. Sara was relieved when they finally got to sit down and eat. Unfortunately, the entree was filet mignon and she ended up at a table with one of her former dorm mates who wanted to grill her about her relationship with Nick.  
  
Nick just put his arm on the chair behind Sara and grinned. "Why don't you tell Kelly the story, sweetheart? I love how you tell it."  
  
Sara made a mental note to kill Nick later as she glanced at him with a grin. "Ok, baby."  
  
Kelly smiled in anticipation. "Go on, Sara. All of us are just dying to know how you snagged someone as hunky as Nick here."  
  
Sara wanted to laugh at the irony of the situation. Kelly was just the type that Nick had gone for as long as Sara had known him. It was obvious that if Kelly sensed any trouble in paradise, she'd move in for the kill. Sara glanced at Nick for a moment and flashed him a smile that said he was going to pay for making her tell 'their' story.  
  
Sara turned back to Kelly and grinned. "Well, I met Nick while he was throwing dummies off of a hotel in Vegas."  
  
Kelly looked confused. "Sorry?"  
  
Nick chuckled. "Sara and I work together at the crime lab, I was doing an experiment."  
  
Sara raised an eyebrow at Nick. "Sure you don't want to tell the story, baby?"  
  
He grinned. "I'm sure."  
  
Sara turned back to Kelly. "I think I started falling for Nick then, but I was a little distracted by someone else. I think it was just a case of bad timing for a while."  
  
Kelly looked at Nick. "When did you start falling for Sara?"  
  
He chuckled. "When I was throwing dummies off the roof."  
  
"Oh, that's so sweet. Love a first sight." Kelly was gushing. "So why didn't you ask her out?"  
  
Nick grinned. "She was interested in someone else, but I never gave up on her. I knew she was special."  
  
Sara studied Nick as he talked. He was good. Kelly was really buying what he was saying. In fact he was so good, that if Sara didn't know better, she'd buy what he said too.  
  
"So, Sara, when did things change between you two?" She was grinning like she was trying to win a spot in a toothpaste ad.  
  
Sara glanced at Nick for a moment. She figured since Nick thought she was telling a story, there was no harm in telling the truth. "I think it was around the time Nick and I were working on a case where this husband had drowned his wife in the bathtub and had tried to make it look like an accident. We tried to reconstruct the scene and I caught him staring at me."  
  
Nick smiled. The rest of the table assumed that he was enjoying the story, but he hadn't realized that she'd known he'd been staring at her.  
  
Kelly turned toward Nick. "What about you Nick?"  
  
He grinned at Sara. "Same case. I'd been wanting to ask her out for a while, but I caught her staring at my ass in that bathroom while we were trying to figure out if the husband's story was plausible."  
  
Sara chuckled. She had no idea that he'd seen her staring at his ass. It had been a nice view and was hard to resist staring.  
  
Nick continued. "I think it was the night she showed up on my doorstep though that pushed me over the edge." He looked right at Sara.  
  
She picked up where he left off. "I was really upset about something and the only person I wanted to talk to was Nick. He let me in and just let me cry. When I didn't have any tears left, he made me laugh." She remembered that night like it was yesterday. Grissom had turned down her dinner invitation and suddenly things had become crystal clear. The only person she wanted to talk to was Nick, the only person she wanted at all was Nick.  
  
"So how long have you been together?" Kelly pushed.  
  
"Seven months, isn't that right, sugar?" Nick just grinned at Sara.  
  
She nodded deciding to up the ante a little. "Yeah, baby. In fact our seven month anniversary is on Sunday." She leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.  
  
"Oh, that's so sweet. You should do something special." Kelly was gushing.  
  
One of the other guests interjected a question. "When are you going to ask her to marry you?"  
  
Nick looked like he'd swallowed a horse. "Uh, we haven't really talked about that yet."  
  
Sara chuckled softly. "Nick's a little commitment shy."  
  
Thankfully, one of the groomsmen stopped by the table and asked Kelly if she wanted to grab a drink in the bar. She didn't have to be asked twice.  
  
The rest of the guests went back to their own conversations and Nick and Sara finished their meal in relative peace.  
  
After they'd finished, Nick looked up at Sara and smiled softly. "You want to go for a walk?"  
  
She smiled. "Yeah."  
  
They stood up and Nick offered her his arm as they walked out onto the beach toward the ocean. They didn't get too far in the sand before Sara stopped. She was laughing. "Uh, I think this is going to be a disaster if we don't take our shoes off."  
  
Nick chuckled and after they'd both removed their shoes, he took Sara's hand and they wandered down the beach in the moonlight. Nick studied Sara out of the corner of his eye. She was remarkably beautiful, and he wondered if she knew he meant every word he'd said at the table. He wondered if she meant what she'd said.  
  
They stopped about halfway down the beach and Sara turned to look at him. "Thanks for everything, Nick. I really appreciate it."  
  
He grinned at her and pulled her into a hug. "Any time, Sar. I'm here for you." He would play the part of the boyfriend whatever it required. Maybe somehow this weekend, he'd have the courage to tell Sara how he really felt about her, that he really was in love with her. And maybe if he was really lucky, she might actually feel the same way. 


	3. Bachelorette Party

As Nick and Sara walked back to the hotel, shoes in hand, Sara began to get nervous. She realized that she'd packed with separate hotel rooms in mind, and as a result, she wasn't sure her pajamas were appropriate to wear in front of Nick. Not that they were indecent mind you, they just weren't something she wanted to parade around in while they were sharing a hotel room. Nick sensed that she was a little tense and he slung his arm around her shoulder as they neared the hotel. "You ok?"  
  
She glanced at him and laughed nervously. "Uh, it's just that I didn't think we'd be sharing a hotel room, and how do I say this? Uh, I." Sara felt her words lodge in her throat. How in the world was she going to tell Nick that she was afraid he might find her pajamas a turn on without sounding a little too vain? Not that she would mind if he found her attractive enough to get turned on, but then that would just confuse things even further in this little charade they were playing. She just didn't want to force something that wasn't there.  
  
Nick squeezed her shoulder. "Do you want to borrow a T-shirt?"  
  
Sometimes there was an advantage to knowing someone so well that you really didn't have to complete your sentences. Although, it was also a little eerie. Sara just hoped Nick couldn't read all of her thoughts. She looked at him and chuckled. "Yeah, I would."  
  
As they were coming off the beach, Kelly intercepted them. "Oh, you two lovebirds disappeared."  
  
"Hi, Kelly." Sara hoped her smile looked genuine. It felt anything but. She had gotten her fill of Kelly at the dinner table. Kelly seemed to have only one tone of voice. A sickly sweet one that was getting on Sara's nerves.  
  
"Well, you're just in time. We've got a bachelorette party to go to and Ben is just dying to talk to Nick." Kelly was gushing.  
  
Nick tightened his hold on Sara's shoulder. "Actually, Kelly, Sara and I are tired. We drove most of the day after working all night and we both want to get some sleep before the wedding tomorrow evening." Nick interjected.  
  
Kelly looked put out as she looked at Sara. "Chloe is going to be so disappointed. Can't you just come for one little drink?"  
  
Sara glanced at Nick as if she needed his permission. The thought caused Sara a bit of pause. It felt so natural to be with Nick, she wondered what it would be like if it wasn't just a show for her friends, if they were truly dating each other. She didn't think she'd ever find out.  
  
He smiled at her. "It's up to you, Sar. I'm tired though and I'd like to go to sleep."  
  
Sara furrowed her brow for a moment. She really didn't want to go hang out with Kelly and the rest of the girls, what she really wanted to do was spend time with Nick, but she felt that she should since the whole reason she'd come to San Diego in the first place was for Chloe's wedding. She glanced over at Kelly. "I'll come for a little while."  
  
Kelly let out a squeal that reminded Nick of the sound pigs make during a greased pig contest at the state fair. He chuckled. "Ok, I'll see you later then." He leaned over and kissed Sara on the cheek.  
  
"What kind of kiss is that?" Kelly harrumphed. "You've got to kiss her so she'll miss you." She obviously felt that a much larger display of affection was in order.  
  
Sara tried to swallow an embarrassed smile. She wanted to kiss Nick, but this wasn't the scenario that she'd had in mind. She wanted it to be real.  
  
Nick contemplated her words for a moment as a mischievous smile spread across his face. "You know, Kelly, you're right." He turned to face Sara and reached out and cradled her face with his hands. His thumbs caressed her cheeks as he leaned his face toward hers. He whispered to her. "I'll miss you, Sar."  
  
Sara sucked in her breath and moistened her lips with her tongue unconsciously. As Nick's lips softly touched hers, Sara felt as if electricity coursed through her body. She found her body had a will of its own as she responded to his kiss. She splayed a hand out against his chest and her other cupped his cheek.  
  
They stepped apart looking a bit dazed as their eyes locked. Sara reached up and touched her lips as Kelly's squeal broke the moment. "Now that was a kiss." Kelly grabbed Sara's arm and pulled her off toward the bar where the rest of the girls were waiting.  
  
Sara just nodded numbly as Kelly led her away, glancing back at Nick who now had a big grin etched across his face.  
  
It wasn't until Kelly had repeated herself a third time, that her words registered in Sara's mind. "If that's what a kiss from him does to you, I wonder what he's like in bed."  
  
Sara couldn't believe Kelly's crass comment. Ok, actually she could, only she still wasn't about to dignify it with a comment. Sara looked her directly in the eye. "I'm not interested in discussing my sex life with you, Kelly."  
  
Kelly suddenly realized that she'd overstepped her boundaries. "Oh, I'm sorry, Sara, he's just so gorgeous and I can't believe you landed him."  
  
This girl certainly had a way of putting her foot in her mouth. Sara just chuckled softly. Of course this girl couldn't understand. Her mind was still stuck in the mentality she had in college. She always seemed to be arm candy for some guy. It was too bad she hadn't bothered to work on who she was inside. If she had, she'd probably have quality guys lining up around the block to be with her.  
  
The rest of the girls were waiting just inside the bar. Chloe grinned as Sara approached. "Oh, Sara! I'm so glad you came. I thought for sure you and Nick had snuck off somewhere for a little romantic tryst, but then I wouldn't blame you, he is gorgeous."  
  
Sara smiled. If they only knew the truth, she'd be the butt of their jokes.  
  
Kelly started to gush. "You should have seen Nick kiss her goodbye. You'd think they wouldn't be seeing each other for weeks instead of a couple of hours."  
  
A faint shade of pink began to creep up Sara's cheeks. She had hoped that she could grab a drink or two with the girls and then go up to the room and get some sleep. But as Kelly began to describe the kiss in detail, Sara found herself the center of attention. One drink turned to two, then three, and before she knew it, several hours had gone by.  
  
Meanwhile, Nick had gone up to the room and taken a shower and put on a clean pair of boxers and a T-shirt. He decided that he'd watch a little TV and wait up for Sara. He settled himself on the bed to watch a marathon of 'Walker Texas Ranger' thinking Sara would be back soon. After the first hour, he started to drift off to sleep, and by the time Sara returned shortly after midnight, Nick was sound asleep on top of the comforter with the TV still blaring away.  
  
Sara was drunk. She hadn't drank that much in a long, long time. She had intended to have one drink, but lost count after the fourth. She stumbled into the room and kicked her shoes off. The blaring of the TV was giving her a headache and she smacked at a few buttons on the front of it until it turned off. All she wanted to do was crawl in bed and go to sleep. She had a vague recollection that there was a reason why she should put her pajamas on, but she couldn't seem to figure out how to make her fingers work long enough to open her suitcase to look for them, and besides, she wasn't sure what her suitcase even looked like right now. So she simply stepped out of her dress and crawled on top of the bed in nothing but her panties, snuggling up next to Nick and falling asleep. 


	4. Hangover

Nick woke to a strange sensation. Or at least one he certainly didn't expect. His hand was resting on bare flesh, and it wasn't his. As his eyes opened in the dim morning light, he realized that he'd fallen asleep on the bed and that Sara lay next to him, or rather on him. Panic began to surge through him as he realized Sara's state of dress, or lack thereof, and the fact that his arm was wrapped around her bare waist. The last thing he wanted to do was jolt her awake so that she sat up abruptly and flashed him. Ok, actually, he wouldn't mind that, but he was fairly certain that she would be completely mortified at having exposed herself to him and he wanted to keep certain body parts safe from any wrath she might expend his direction. Nick contemplated what to do. As much as he really wanted to stay there with Sara in his arms, he knew they needed to get up, and he needed to find a delicate way out of this situation. Hopefully, before she woke up. As he considered his options, he felt her stir against him. He decided that maybe the best option would be to close his eyes and pretend to be asleep.  
  
Sara opened her eyes before he had the chance. As the reality of the situation dawned on her with as much force as the hangover she was experiencing she let out a panicked squeak. "Nick."  
  
"Sara, don't move." Nick tried to soothe her with his tone. "Uh, I haven't seen anything, so maybe if I just close my eyes you can find something to put on."  
  
"I'm gonna throw up." Sara moaned as she tried to figure out the best way to stumble to the bathroom without flashing Nick.  
  
Neither one of them dared to move, and then circumstances forced them to. Sara threw up on Nick.  
  
Sara looked completely mortified as Nick swung into action. He wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her with him off the bed, guiding her towards the bathroom, trying to avert his eyes, so he wouldn't see anything he wasn't supposed to. All the while, Sara whimpered. "I'm so sorry, Nick." Traces of the drinks she consumed the night before dripped down the front of his shirt.  
  
"Shh, Sara, it's ok. It looks like someone had a little too much to drink last night." He was somewhat amused at the situation, despite the fact that he smelled like regurgitated Tequila.  
  
"I'm sorry." Sara continued thoroughly embarrassed at the situation.  
  
Nick reached over and grabbed a towel, offering it to Sara as he let go of her and turned around, making sure to keep his eyes on the ceiling. "I'll just go find you some clothes, if you want to put that towel around yourself."  
  
Sara sat down on the lid of the toilet, holding the towel against herself. She felt like hell. She had a vague recollection that she'd had a few drinks and then the rest became a little hazy. Well at least she didn't throw herself at Nick, or at least she hoped she didn't throw herself at Nick. In any case, his demeanor didn't indicate that she had, he seemed to be just as embarrassed by the situation as she was. She couldn't believe that she'd crawled into bed with him half naked. She wanted the floor to swallow her up. Anytime a catastrophic earthquake wanted to hit would be ok with her. It would at least provide some distraction from the current situational disaster she was experiencing.  
  
She made a mental note to go to the mall and buy a pair of pajamas similar to what her grandmother might wear, she still had to buy a wedding present anyway, anything would have been better to sleep in than what she had on at the moment, at least under the current circumstances. If she and Nick were actually dating or married it wouldn't be a big deal. Where did the 'm' word come from? Why did that even enter her mind? Marry Nick? Ok, so maybe the thought had occurred to her subconsciously about a few million times, but this was the first time it had ever penetrated her conscious thoughts. It was amazing what a little liquor could do to loosen you up. Of course then there was that kiss. She let out a deep sigh. She couldn't deny it any more. She was very consciously in love with Nick.  
  
Nick returned a few minutes later, softly knocking at the door. "Are you decent?"  
  
"I'm covered if that's what you mean." Sara had a waver in her voice that made Nick think that she might throw up again.  
  
Nick opened the door and offered her a T-shirt and a pair of his boxers. "I didn't want to go through your suitcase, so I grabbed some of my clothes. Besides, if you have to throw up again, they wash easily."  
  
She glanced up at him and took the clothes from his hand. She noticed that he still wore the puke stained T-shirt. "I'm really sorry, Nick. I didn't mean to throw up on you. I didn't mean to fall asleep like that. This is just so incredibly embarrassing."  
  
Nick just flashed her a smile. "Don't worry about it, Sara. I have to say I think this is the first time I've been thrown up on by someone over the age of three, but I understand." He turned around and left, closing the bathroom door behind him to give her a little privacy.  
  
Sara decided that she needed a shower. She set the clean clothes on the counter and turned the facet on, stepping under the spray. After she fell sufficiently clean, she stepped out and dried herself off. As she pulled the T-shirt on over her head, a faint smile tugged at her lips as she detected a scent that was uniquely Nick. She had to chuckle at his boxers. She was pretty sure that the rest of her coworkers would find it strange if they found out she had worn Nick's underwear. She pulled them on and rolled the waistband a couple of times so they fit better before heading back out into the bedroom.  
  
Apparently, Nick hadn't expected her to emerge so soon because Sara caught a full back view of his birthday suit as he was pulling a clean pair of boxers on.  
  
Sara stood there for a moment and just stared and then realized what she was doing, quickly spinning around and clearing her throat to announce her presence.  
  
He chuckled softly as he turned around with a T-shirt in hand. As he held it in his hand he quipped. "Well, it looks like one of us was destined to be a flasher today."  
  
Sara couldn't help but laugh as she turned back around. "I'm just glad it wasn't me."  
  
Nick just grinned and gestured toward the bed. "I think going back to sleep is out." Sara glanced over and noticed that the bedding had gotten about as much puke on it as Nick's shirt had.  
  
She groaned and sat down on the couch. "I feel like crap."  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow at her as he pulled the comforter off the bed. "Just how much did you drink last night?"  
  
She looked up at him and wrinkled her brow. Damn he was distracting without his shirt on. "I don't know. I lost count after about four. I really intended to only stay for one drink, but Kelly and Chloe were grilling me about you."  
  
Nick tried to restrain his smile. "Oh, they wanted to know about me, huh? What did you tell them?"  
  
Sara bit her lip. "I don't remember." She really wished that Nick would put his shirt on. Well, not really, but if they were going to continue their conversation, it would be a really good idea if there was less skin showing.  
  
Nick chuckled. "Oh, this could be fun." There was teasing in his voice.  
  
She raised her eyebrow at him. "Hey, I wasn't the one who decided a real kiss was a good idea. That's all Kelly could talk about. She wants to know if you have a brother by the way."  
  
Nick grinned. "Sorry to disappoint her, but my brother Mike is married with four kids and a baby on the way."  
  
Sara giggled at the thought of what Kelly's face would look like at receiving that little bit of information.  
  
"By the way, you're a pretty damn good kisser, Sidle." Nick crossed his arms in front of his chest as he regarded her sitting on the couch.  
  
Sara couldn't help the smile that flitted across her face. "You're not so bad yourself."  
  
A mischievous smile played at Nick's lips. "You know, we might just have to do that a few more times if you want to keep up this little charade."  
  
Sara's eyebrows shot up and she looked almost indignant, except for the smile and the pink that infused her cheeks. "I wasn't the one who started the charade in the first place. You were the one who told Chloe we were dating."  
  
"True." He flashed her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry."  
  
She shook her head and smiled. "Don't be. It's easier this way. Besides, if Kelly thought you were available, she'd be throwing herself at you."  
  
Nick glanced over at the clock. "Do you want to grab something to eat?"  
  
Sara grimaced at the thought. "I don't think I can right now." Sara's head was pounding and all she wanted was coffee and aspirin. "How about a very large cup of coffee and some form of pain killers for my head."  
  
Nick nodded. "Why don't we get out of here for a while, the wedding isn't until tonight."  
  
"Can we go to the mall?" Sara queried him.  
  
Nick laughed. "Sara Sidle at the mall. I might just need to call Catherine."  
  
Sara rolled her eyes. "I haven't bought a wedding gift yet, and I thought I might buy some pajamas to wear rather than have a repeat of last night."  
  
Nick tried to swallow his grin.  
  
Sara chuckled. "I take it you didn't mind the view."  
  
"Truthfully, I rather enjoyed the view, but I didn't think you'd appreciate it if I saw any more than I did." Nick answered a bit cheekily.  
  
Sara blushed. "Well, I'll remember not to drink so much the next time I have to share a hotel room with such a hunk, as Kelly puts it."  
  
"Speaking of all that drinking, I think I need to take a shower. I smell a bit like recycled Tequila." Nick grinned.  
  
"Yeah, and somehow, as much as I appreciate the use of your clothes, it might raise a few eyebrows if I went to the mall in your underwear." Sara smirked.  
  
"At least I'm not wearing yours." Nick teased as he disappeared into the bathroom.  
  
"This isn't Vegas, Stokes." Sara called out good naturedly, but a little too loudly for her headache.  
  
By the time Nick emerged from the bathroom, Sara had gotten dressed in a knee skimming khaki skirt and a white button down shirt; her sunglasses were shoved up on top of her head. Nick couldn't help but smile, and Sara raised her eyebrows at him. "I do wear skirts you know."  
  
"Oh, I believe you. I just hardly ever see you in them." Nick replied pulling a pair of khaki slacks out of the closet and pulling them on over his boxers. He pulled on a light blue short sleeved button down shirt and tucked it in.  
  
They made their way down to the lobby to wait for the valet to bring the SUV around. As they stood there, a shrill voice called out.  
  
Sara muttered under her breath, lowering her sunglasses to cover her eyes. "Anyone but her, please."  
  
Nick chuckled at Sara as Kelly made her way over to them. "You guys sure are up early."  
  
Sara turned toward her. "We're going to the mall to pick up the gift for the wedding."  
  
"Oh, that's so great, I was just thinking how I needed to go there too. Now we can all go together. Isn't that just great?" Kelly was gushing again; too loudly for Sara's head.  
  
She climbed into the backseat of the SUV with them and started quizzing Nick about whether he had a brother. After he found out that Mike was married with kids, she started quizzing him about his friends. Sara couldn't help but laugh at the situation.  
  
When they arrived at the mall, Sara quickly picked out a wedding present and as it was being wrapped they had a little time to kill.  
  
"Oh, let's go to Tiffany's. I bet Nick here would love to know what kind of ring you want when he's ready to propose." Kelly didn't pick up on the sputter of protests from either of them as she dragged them over to Tiffany's & Company. Kelly took charge of the situation and before they realized what had happened, Nick and Sara were looking at engagement rings. The whole situation felt completely surreal to Sara as she looked at a spectacular ring on her finger, still in a slight fog from her hangover.  
  
"The lady seems to like that one." The salesman smiled and discretely slipped Nick his card with the ring size, price, and stock number . Rather than protest and let out the secret that they were in fact not dating, Nick put it into his pocket. Nick stared at the ring on Sara's hand. The salesman had said it was a princess cut diamond flanked by sapphires in a platinum setting. It looked like it was made for her hand. 


	5. Coffee?

The trio made their way out of Tiffany's and headed back toward the department store to pick up the wedding gift Sara had purchased. Nick turned to Sara and Kelly. "Uh, do you ladies want coffee?" "How do you keep reading my mind?" Sara grinned through her headache.  
  
"That's so sweet." Kelly just couldn't stop gushing and Sara wondered how the hell she could be so cheerful considering how much they all drank the night before.  
  
Nick grinned. "I'll get the coffee, you pick up the gift and we'll meet at Starbucks in twenty minutes?"  
  
Sara raised an eyebrow curiously. "I don't think it's going to take twenty minutes."  
  
Nick chuckled. "Well, I seem to recall that somebody wanted to buy some pajamas because she was cold last night."  
  
Sara blushed. She was certain that Kelly would take that comment completely different than it was intended, however, she also didn't think it was a good idea to enlighten her to the reality of their relationship. "Oh, yeah."  
  
Kelly just grinned and grabbed Sara's arm. "C'mon, Sara, I'll help you pick something out that'll turn up the heat."  
  
Nick couldn't help but laugh as the two left.  
  
Twenty minutes later, Nick sat at a table in Starbucks with three coffees waiting for Sara and Kelly to return. A few minutes later, they did, and Sara looked uncomfortable as they joined him at the table.  
  
Kelly had a mischievous grin on her face as she looked at Sara and then Nick and then back at Sara again. "Aren't you going to show him, Sara?"  
  
Sara glanced at Kelly and shook her head. "No, I'm not going to show him." Sara was trying to figure out how the hell she was going to return what she bought. As far as she was concerned, Nick would never get to see the article of clothing in that bag. Not that she really thought it qualified as clothing. The pajamas she'd brought with her covered more than the thing she had in that bag did, and she hadn't even wanted to wear those in front of him. Of course, after last night, the pajamas she brought were looking better and better all the time. Maybe she could borrow his T-shirt and boxers again. In any case, Nick Stokes had seen far more of her flesh than she ever intended, at least under the current circumstances.  
  
Nick watched Sara's face with amusement and made a mental note to give her a hard time about whatever was in that bag. Kelly must have picked out something pretty risqué for Sara to be reacting like this. He was pretty certain that whatever was in there would cause his grandmother to faint dead away. The thought made him smile and he turned toward Kelly. "I'm sure I'll see whatever it is eventually."  
  
Sara shot Nick a look that was filled with panic. She forced a smile as she looked at him. "Only if it's a repeat of last night, baby." Nick knew her smile was fake and that she was telling him there was no way in hell he'd ever see what was in the bag on her unless she was seriously drunk and lacking judgement again.  
  
He just grinned. "I'll be looking forward to it, darlin'."  
  
Kelly giggled assuming that the two must have had a pretty hot night after Sara left the bachelorette party. "Well, you two sure aren't shy."  
  
Nick had to swallow a grin. Kelly was as oblivious as a blind man at a mime show. The three of them finished their coffee and headed out to the SUV and made their way back to the hotel. Nick handed the keys to the valet and they stepped inside the lobby.  
  
Kelly turned to them, grinning. "I know, Sara, you should show Nick your little outfit for your anniversary tomorrow! Seven whole months. Wow. I've never had a relationship that long."  
  
Sara glanced at Nick and they both had to stifle their laughter. Sara wasn't sure Kelly had ever had what could be considered a real relationship, let alone one that lasted longer than a month. But then again, she and Nick weren't dating, and she sure as hell was not going to model her 'little outfit' as Kelly put it for an anniversary that didn't even exist. This morning was embarrassing enough.  
  
Kelly glanced at her watch. "I've got to go get ready, see you two lovebirds at the wedding." She turned and quickly sauntered off.  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow at Sara as they headed to their room. "Isn't the wedding this evening?"  
  
Sara smirked. "Well, apparently, Kelly needs six hours to get ready."  
  
Nick couldn't contain his laughter and put his arm around Sara's shoulder as they neared the door. He glanced down at her and flashed her a boyish grin. "Are you going to show me what's in the bag?"  
  
Color crept into Sara's cheeks as they entered their room. "Not on your life, Stokes."  
  
Nick feigned innocence. "But why not?" He looked like a little boy begging for a puppy, or worse yet, a pony.  
  
Sara just rolled her eyes. "Because you and I both know that I did not end up with what I set out to buy. How in the hell was I going to explain to Kelly why I felt flannel pajamas were much more appropriate than what she was suggesting? The only way to do that was to tell her that we weren't dating, and quite frankly, I don't think she'd believe me even if I did tell her. She seems to think that you and I are in love."  
  
Nick batted his eyelashes at her. "Please can I see what's in the bag?"  
  
Sara couldn't help but laugh at him. He was so damn cute. She smirked at him and then threw the small bag at him. "Fine, you can see what's in the bag, but I am not modeling that thing for you."  
  
Nick couldn't stifle his grin as he peeked into the bag. He started to chuckle as he reached in and pulled out a very sheer, very skimpy piece of black lingerie. He waggled his eyebrows as he held it up in front of him. "Are you sure you won't model it? I bet it would look good on you. Besides, you had less on this morning."  
  
Sara's eyebrows shot up and she grabbed the garment out of his hands. "I knew I shouldn't have shown it to you." She was thoroughly embarrassed. Not that she wouldn't mind modeling it for Nick under different circumstances, but he was her friend, and regardless of the fact that she was in love with him, she wasn't about to throw herself at him.  
  
Nick looked apologetic. "Hey, I'm sorry. I just wanted to tease you." He handed the bag back to her and smiled. "You want to grab some lunch?"  
  
Sara looked at him with amusement. "Nick, you are always hungry." How the man could eat as much as he did and look like that amazed Sara.  
  
He raised an eyebrow at her. "We've only had coffee, and for the record, I am not always hungry. Just most of the time." He grinned at her.  
  
Sara shoved the lingerie into the bag and tossed it onto the bed and put the wrapped gift next to it. "Ok, lets eat."  
  
"How's your hangover?" He queried her.  
  
"Better now that we're not with Kelly. I swear I get a headache just being around her." Sara quipped as they headed out the door.  
  
Nick slung his arm around her shoulder and planted a kiss on top of her head. "Well, we go back to Vegas tomorrow and you won't have to see her again." Nick secretly wished that they could stay longer. He was trying to work up his courage to tell her how he felt about her, and he wasn't sure he'd be able to get it out before they had to leave.  
  
Sara enjoyed the sensation of Nick's arm around her shoulder. She wished they didn't have to go back to Vegas right away. She silently wondered what he would do if he knew that she was in love with him. If she felt braver, she might tell him, but she didn't want to lose one of the best friends she'd ever had. On the other hand, she'd never had a kiss quite like the one they'd shared. Maybe he did feel something; either that or he was one hell of an actor. Sara thought that maybe she should tell him how she felt, but right this moment wasn't the time. She just wanted to enjoy being with him. Reality would come soon enough when they returned to Vegas. For now she could just pretend he was in love with her. It was a charade he had started and for now she was more than willing to keep it going. 


	6. Lunch

As Nick and Sara ate lunch in the hotel restaurant, they watched things being set up for the wedding out on the beach. Sara couldn't help but smile at how beautiful it was. "She'll certainly have beautiful wedding photos." She looked almost wistful at the setting. Nick chuckled as he watched her. "Yeah, it is a lot prettier than Vegas."  
  
Sara shook her head and laughed. "How can you even compare the Strip to this?" She gestured toward the ocean with her hand.  
  
"Can't." He grinned and took another bite of his meal. She was beautiful. He wondered if she knew that. He'd dated a lot of women and none of them compared to Sara Sidle and he wasn't even dating her. Damn he was so in love with her. He wondered if he should tell her now, but as he considered it he thought that if she didn't return his feelings it was going to make going to the wedding tonight extremely awkward. He needed to tell her, he just wasn't sure how, or when, but he definitely wanted to do it before they headed back to Vegas tomorrow.  
  
They ate in companionable silence for a while. Sara furrowed her brow for a moment as she stared at her food.  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow. "Everything ok?"  
  
She glanced up at him and nodded. "I was just thinking that maybe we should go back to the mall."  
  
Nick looked at her with an amused expression, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket and began to punch in numbers.  
  
"What are you doing?" Sara looked perplexed.  
  
He grinned. "I'm calling Catherine. You asked to go to the mall twice in one day."  
  
She raised her eyebrow and tried to shoot him a withering glance, but ended up laughing instead. "I can't believe you."  
  
He hit the end button on the phone and slid it back into his pocket. "I didn't really call her." He chuckled.  
  
"Oh, really? I didn't think so considering you'd be waking her up." Sara just grinned at him.  
  
Nick feigned disappointment. "Can't fool you."  
  
She giggled. "That's why I'm a damn good CSI." She took another bite of her meal and shook her head at the amazingly gorgeous but goofy man sitting across from her.  
  
"Yes, you are." Nick grinned at her. She was brilliant and he loved working with her. He was so glad she'd invited him to come with her to this wedding. He just loved being with her. Hell, he loved the very thought of her. Damn, he had to say something. "Uh, Sara?"  
  
She looked over at him and smiled. "Yeah?"  
  
"I've got your check, sir." The waiter had provided impeccable service throughout the meal, but at the moment, his timing was terrible.  
  
Nick glanced up at him. "Uh, thank you." He reached for his wallet and pulled out his credit card, handing it to the waiter.  
  
"I'll be right back with this sir." The waiter nodded his head and disappeared.  
  
Nick turned back to Sara and his courage faltered. "Do you really want to go back to the mall?"  
  
She chuckled. "Not really, but I do want to get something that provides a little more coverage to sleep in."  
  
He grinned at her with a mischievous glint in his eye. "What's wrong with what you bought? I thought it was kind of cute."  
  
Sara turned red and tried to stifle an embarrassed grin. "Uh, can we change the subject? I'm not putting that thing on for you."  
  
He chuckled. "Did you want to just borrow a T-shirt and shorts then, I mean, do you really need flannel pajamas in Vegas?"  
  
She smirked at him. "No, I don't need flannel pj's in Vegas, and yes, I'll borrow the T-shirt and shorts."  
  
The waiter returned with Nick's credit card and as he signed the slip and figured out the tip, Sara studied him. He was an incredible man and she wished that she had the courage to tell him that she was in love with him. With Nick she didn't feel the need to be Sara Sidle CSI. She could just be Sara who happened to be a damn fine criminalist, but then so was he. He was fine in many ways. Sara looked out a the beach watching the progress of the workers setting up the chairs for the wedding. "Do you ever think about getting married?" She glanced over at Nick.  
  
He studied her for a moment and nodded. "Yeah, I do."  
  
Sara let out a sigh as she turned her attention back to the beach. "This would be a really pretty place to get married."  
  
Nick chuckled. "Yes, it would." He thought about what Sara might look like in a wedding gown walking down the aisle to meet him. Damn, she would freak out if she knew he was thinking like that.  
  
Sara was lost in thought. She wondered what Nick would think if he knew she was picturing the two of them standing on the beach exchanging wedding vows. Damn, she was going to have to tell him soon that she was in love with him before it just slipped out.  
  
Nick glanced at his watch and then back at Sara. "Hey, I have an idea."  
  
She looked at Nick curiously. "What?"  
  
"Why don't you go get a massage in the day spa?" He was grinning at her.  
  
"Why would I do that?" Sara raised an eyebrow at him. Not that she wouldn't mind getting a massage, but they weren't exactly cheap.  
  
"Because I think you need to be pampered, especially after this morning. Besides, it's my treat." He smiled at her sincerely.  
  
She looked at him incredulously. "Nick, I can't let you do that."  
  
"Sorry, can't stop me." He chuckled. He thought that maybe while she was getting a massage he could work up his courage to tell her how he felt.  
  
Sara let out a soft chuckle. "Ok, but I'm the one who really should be doing something nice for you, especially since I threw up on you this morning." She still couldn't believe he hadn't freak out over that. The thought occurred to her that maybe, just maybe, Nick might be harboring some feelings for her that went a little deeper than friendship. At the very least he was one damn good friend for taking care of her without complaining about getting puked on.  
  
"You can dance with me at the wedding and keep Kelly away." He just continued to smile at her. "Let's go see if they have an opening for a massage."  
  
Sara just shook her head in disbelief as they made their way to the day spa. She couldn't believe that Nick would do something so nice for her.  
  
The day spa was able to get her in and as she went in to get a massage, Nick went back up to their room where he paced from one side to the other trying to figure out what to say to her.  
  
"Sara, we've known each other a long time. What would say if I told you I thought you were hot?" Nick shook his head. "No, that sounds like I'm hitting on her." He put his hand on his forehead. "Sara, I'm in love with you." He rested his hands on his hips. "No, too forward and definitely not romantic." He let out a couple of deep breaths and started pacing again. "Sara, you're the most amazing woman I've ever met." He thought about that for a moment. "Not a bad start, but it doesn't give me an out if she starts to freak out." He chuckled. "Hell, I don't care if she freaks out. I'm in love with her, and I happen to be talking to myself." He sat down on the edge of the bed and just smiled.  
  
He finally decided that he should just lay his clothes out for the wedding and watch TV while he waited for Sara to get done with her massage. He was going to tell her that he was in love with her, and he wasn't going to wait another day. He just had to find the right moment. 


	7. A Wedding

Nick was still watching TV, although not really paying attention to it, when Sara returned from her massage. She smiled softly at him as she walked through the door. "I'm not sure that massage was such a good idea." Nick raised a curious eyebrow. "How come?" He hoped it hadn't been a bad experience for her. The last thing he wanted was for her to compound the unpleasantness of her day with a painful massage, especially after this morning.  
  
She chuckled softly. "Because all I want to do now is sleep."  
  
Nick grinned. "You still have time. The wedding isn't for a couple more hours still."  
  
Sara crawled up onto the bed, thankful that housekeeping had come and changed all the bedding after she had christened it this morning unceremoniously. The wrapped wedding gift lay on the bedside table. She lay down on her stomach and glanced over at Nick who looked at her with amusement. "What?"  
  
He chuckled and shook his head. "Nothing. You just remind me of what a boneless turkey might look like."  
  
With mock indignation she swatted at his leg. "Are you telling me that you think I look like a turkey, Stokes?"  
  
He dodged her hand. "I value my life too highly to ever make that comparison, Sara. All I'm saying is that you seem very relaxed."  
  
"Umhum." Sara was already drifting off to sleep and Nick couldn't resist reaching over and tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.  
  
The TV no longer even remotely interested him and he found himself content to just watch Sara sleep. As he watched her he wondered what it would be like to wake up next to her everyday. He wondered what the rest of the lab would think if they knew he was even thinking like this. He'd had a reputation as a ladies man, and quite frankly, it wasn't true. With the help of Greg Sanders, it had taken on a life of its own. While it was true he had dated a lot of women, he had never dated more than one at a time. The thing is the women he'd meet in bars and clubs just weren't the kind of woman he could imagine spending the rest of his life with; maybe the rest of the night with, but definitely not the rest of his life. Sara was different. He could see himself spending the rest of his life with her, if only she felt the same way what bliss that would be. He needed to tell her how he felt and he wanted the moment to be perfect. If he had to, he'd create the perfect moment. But he had to tell her, he couldn't wait much longer.  
  
Nick wasn't sure how long he watched Sara sleep, but glancing up at the clock as she began to stir, he realized it had only been about an hour.  
  
Her eyes fluttered opened and she noticed that he was watching her. A faint smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "How long have I been sleeping?"  
  
"About an hour." Nick replied trying not to stare at her.  
  
She pushed herself up onto her elbows and turned her head sideways to face him. "I'm going to go take a shower and get beautiful."  
  
Nick smiled at her. "You are already are beautiful."  
  
Sara wasn't sure how to respond to his comment, but a smile spread across her face. "Thanks, but I don't feel beautiful right now. I've got stuff all over me from that massage." She let out a yawn and pushed herself up to a sitting position.  
  
Nick raised a curious eyebrow. "Stuff."  
  
Sara rolled her eyes. "You know, lotion, oil, whatever they use, it's sort of slimy."  
  
He chuckled. "I'll trust you on that."  
  
Sara slid off the bed and went over to her suitcase to pull out some undergarments and then to the closet to pull out her dress. She glanced over her shoulder at Nick who was watching her. "I take it whatever your watching on TV isn't too interesting."  
  
He looked at her quizzically. "Huh?"  
  
Sara laughed. "Uh, you're staring at me, Stokes."  
  
Nick tried to restrain his grin. "Uh, sorry, the view was nice."  
  
Sara just shook her head and tried not to blush. "I'll be in here getting beautiful."  
  
"I suppose I should try and get handsome then." He grinned at her as she stepped into the bathroom.  
  
Before she shut the door behind her she grinned. "You already are."  
  
Nick chuckled as he stared at the closed door of the bathroom. He got up from where he was leaning against the headboard of the bed and went to go change his clothes. He had brought a charcoal gray suit to wear. He paired it with a white button down shirt and a French blue tie. Conservative, but appropriate for a wedding.  
  
Nick was in the middle of adjusting his tie when Sara emerged from the bathroom. He glanced over and felt his heart stop for a moment. She looked amazing. Her dress was a simple affair. A basic sleeveless sheath dress that skimmed the top of her knee. It was almost the same color as his tie and she topped it off with a single strand of pearls.  
  
Sara grinned at Nick and spun around. "How do I look?"  
  
He finally felt his heart start beating again. "You look gorgeous, Sara."  
  
She raised an eyebrow at him and smiled playfully. "You say that like it's a surprise."  
  
Nick shook his head. "Uh, no, but you just look especially beautiful."  
  
Sara walked over to Nick and adjusted his tie. "Looks like we're ready for a catalog shoot or something. Your tie matches my dress." She chuckled softly.  
  
Nick just grinned at her. "Well, apparently we both have exceptional taste in clothes."  
  
Sara rolled her eyes. "Ok, we should go then." She wasn't sure she could handle Nick staring at her like that or telling her she looked beautiful one more time. Not that she didn't appreciate it. She did. It just made her want to throw herself at him and tell him that she was in love with him and she was just too afraid to do it.  
  
Nick donned his suit jacket and offered Sara his arm as they headed out the door.  
  
Sara stopped abruptly. "The gift." She pulled away and went back into the room and grabbed the wedding gift.  
  
"Here let me." Nick took the gift from her and offered her his arm again.  
  
She chuckled at him teasingly. "Do all the men in Texas go to charm school, Nick?"  
  
He flashed her a grin and his drawl was purposely more pronounced. "Yes, but not all of them were lucky enough to have the Stokes' women giving them instruction on how to treat a lady 24 hours a day."  
  
Sara giggled and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "You're really sweet for being here with me."  
  
He glanced over at her and very seriously replied. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."  
  
Sara felt her heart flip and changed the subject as they neared the beach where the wedding would be held. They made their way to where the guest were beginning to be seated and she leaned over and whispered to Nick. "Isn't this beautiful?"  
  
"Yeah." He smiled at her as he gave the gift to an attendant at a table that had been set up.  
  
They were seated midway back next to a couple that looked like they were in their fifties. As the seats began to fill up, Nick couldn't help but take Sara's hand. She glanced at him with a surprised expression, but he just smiled at her and squeezed her hand. She smiled back and just let him hold her hand, enjoying the sensation.  
  
The wedding began in typical fashion and just went downhill from there. Just about everything that could go wrong did. The candle lighters knocked over one of the candelabras. The bridesmaids' stiletto heels kept sinking in the sand and one of them sprained her ankle, having to lean on the groomsman who escorted her down the aisle. The flower girl went into a fit of hysteria at having to walk down the aisle and when she finally did, she pelted the crowd with flower petals instead of just dropping them gently on the sand. The guests were having a hard time stilling their laughter until Chloe appeared. She looked beautiful, the way any bride should on her wedding day, and she took all of the hilarity of the situation in stride.  
  
As the vows were exchanged, Sara found herself leaning against Nick's shoulder. Nick found he couldn't help but steal glances at Sara. As Ben and Chloe were pronounced husband and wife, Sara let out a happy sigh. Nick squeezed her hand and she glanced up at him, smiling. She was so in love with Nick and she just wished she had the courage to tell him.  
  
Nick continued to hold Sara's hand as they made their way to the reception. On the way in, they ran into Kelly.  
  
As usual, she was gushing as she clung to the arm of one of the groomsmen. "Oh, don't you two look cute. Your clothes match."  
  
Nick and Sara managed to get away from Kelly in the buffet line and settled themselves at a table on the beach side of the dance floor. After the tradition first dances, Nick glanced over at Sara. "Do you want to dance?" He looked at her expectantly.  
  
She grinned. "Of course. I didn't drag you all the way from Vegas just to sit here."  
  
They made their way out to the dance floor where a slow sentimental song played. Nick smiled and whispered to Sara. "You didn't drag me here you know. I came willingly."  
  
Sara smiled. "I appreciate it."  
  
"Any time." Nick's hand rested in the small of her back and her hand rested on his shoulder. His other hand held hers as they danced slowly and talked softly. Nick was completely mesmerized by her and he wanted desperately to tell her how he was feeling, but the time just didn't seem right.  
  
Just as they sat down to take a break the DJ announced that it was time for the bouquet toss.  
  
Sara groaned and glanced at Nick. "I hate this part. This is where all of the single women get paraded out on display like cattle to announce how desperate they are to the rest of the world."  
  
Nick just chuckled and leaned toward her, kissing her cheek. "But no one here thinks you're desperate, and I sure as hell don't."  
  
Sara grinned and stood up to gather with the other ladies on the dance floor for the bouquet toss. As Chloe glanced over her shoulder at the ladies, she winked. And as the bouquet sailed through the air, the crowd seemed to part. It sailed right into Sara's hands. Squeals of delight echoed as Chloe hugged Sara and posed for a picture with her. Sara went back to join Nick, setting the bouquet on the table.  
  
The DJ then announced that it was time to toss the garter. Sara glanced over at Nick and smirked. "If I had to catch the dumb bouquet, you have to go out there and try and catch the damn garter."  
  
Nick chuckled and grinned. "Yes, ma'am."  
  
"I'm too young to be a ma'am." She teased back as Nick stood up and went out to join the other men.  
  
Ben made a huge production of taking Chloe's garter off with his teeth. Once it was off, he held it over his head, glanced over and sling shot it into the crowd of guys. It hit Nick squarely in the chest.  
  
As Nick looked over at Sara with a grin he waved her over so they could have a picture together. Sara glanced at Chloe and Ben and wondered if this wasn't a set up.  
  
Nick and Sara posed with Chloe and Ben for a picture and then as they were about to depart the dance floor. Chloe stopped them. "Where are you going? You two have to kiss and then dance. It's tradition." Chloe had a conspiratorial grin on her face.  
  
A faint pink color was beginning to infuse Sara's cheeks. As far as she knew there was no such tradition, but then who was she to argue with the bride? She felt Nick's arms go around her waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck as their faces leaned toward one another and their lips touched in a gentle kiss. After all, everyone there thought they were dating. And who were they to disappoint everyone? Ok, if truth be told, they were both enjoying the kiss immensely. In fact they got rather lost in it for a few moments, forgot where they were and why they had started kissing in the first place. They finally broke apart when someone good naturedly yelled out. "Get a room!"  
  
Sara felt mortified. Suddenly the whole situation overwhelmed her and all she wanted to do was disappear. She didn't want to continue the charade any more. She couldn't handle it. She was in love with Nick Stokes and wanted the whole world to know. Only she was too afraid to tell him, so she stepped away from him and whispered softly. "I've got to go."  
  
Nick could tell that he'd pushed too far. He should have stopped the kiss at a sweet chaste kiss. Not that Sara didn't fully participate in the kiss. Damn could that woman kiss. He could tell it was too much for her in front of all these people. The charade had gotten a little out of hand and now was the time to end it.  
  
As Sara disappeared out onto the beach, Nick followed her. He caught up to her a short distance down the beach. The sun was setting and he could tell as he looked at her profile that there were tears streaming down her face.  
  
He walked toward her and reached out for her, pulling her into a hug. "Shhh, its ok, Sara."  
  
She pushed herself away from him and looked him in the eye. "I can't do this, Nick."  
  
He let out a deep breath. "I can't either, Sara." He knew it was now or never. 


	8. Sunset and Tears

Wedding guests gathered at the railing of the deck overlooking the beach as Nick and Sara stood there talking in the distance with a spectacular sunset as a backdrop. They couldn't possibly imagine what was being said between the couple that they all thought was completely in love.  
  
The tears continued to stream down Sara's face. She wasn't sure what Nick meant. She knew what she meant, but she wasn't sure what he meant. Her voice wavered. "I." She sniffled. "I can't."  
  
Nick took a deep breath. There would never be another opportunity. If he didn't say what was on his mind this very minute, he would regret it the rest of his life. "Sara, I came here with you this weekend because I wanted to. I'm sorry that things tumbled out of control with Chloe making assumptions, but I'm not sorry about anything that's happened this weekend."  
  
She looked at him a bit perplexed.  
  
"I'm not even sorry you threw up on me." He grinned at her.  
  
She chuckled softly. "I am. I really am."  
  
He chuckled in response. "Sara, I can't think of any place I'd rather be right now than with you. I know we've been friends a long time, but that isn't enough for me any more."  
  
Sara looked bewildered as she tried to absorb what his words implied.  
  
"I'm in love with you, Sara." Nick looked at her earnestly. "I have been for a long time."  
  
As his words sunk in, Sara started to cry.  
  
Nick wasn't sure if he should hug her or just stand there. He decided if she didn't want a hug, she could push him away. He pulled her close and held her as her tears gave way to giggles. Nick pulled back with a lopsided grin on his face to look at her.  
  
Sara looked into his eyes, tears still in her eyes. "Nick, I'm so in love with you." Her voice was hitched with emotion. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that Nick Stokes could actually be in love with her.  
  
Nick pulled her close again and whispered into her ear as he held her. "Oh, Sara, I love you." Sara Sidle was in love with him. He couldn't believe it. She loved him.  
  
Sara whispered. "I love you, Nick." It felt so good to finally say those words. To be held in those arms and know that it was because he loved her.  
  
Nick pulled away smiling. He looked into her eyes and cupped the side of her face with his hand. "Sara, there's something else I need to say."  
  
Sara felt apprehensive as she studied him.  
  
Nick looked nervous. "Sara, I love you more than I've ever loved anyone in my entire life. I can't imagine what it would be like to not have you in my life. You're probably going to think that I'm the craziest man on the entire planet, but I can't help myself." Nick reached for Sara's hand and dropped down to his knee. "Sara Sidle, will you marry me?"  
  
The crowd of wedding guests gasped as the scene before them unfolded like a silent film. Chloe and Ben shushed everyone to be quiet so Nick and Sara wouldn't hear them.  
  
Shock registered on Sara's face as she realized Nick held a ring in his hand. It wasn't just any ring. It was the ring that she'd had on her hand in Tiffany's. The ring that took her breath away. The princess cut diamond flanked by sapphires in a platinum setting.  
  
She was speechless. She just stared at him with her mouth agape. She was aware that there was a glorious sunset and somehow she wondered if this was all just a dream.  
  
Nick squeezed her hand and brought her out of her reverie. He was looking at her expectantly. The man had laid his heart on the line and she was making him wait as she tried to find her words.  
  
Finally she just nodded.  
  
Nick wanted to be absolutely sure that he saw what he thought he'd seen. "Was that a yes?"  
  
She nodded a bit more vigorously and finally found her voice. "Yes. Yes, I'll marry you." Tears were running down her face again.  
  
Nick slid the ring onto her finger and stood up with a huge grin on his face. "You've made me the happiest man in the world. I love you so much." He wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned down to kiss her. They lost themselves in the kiss for a few moments, trying to fathom that what had just transpired was real.  
  
As they broke apart, Sara stared at the ring on her finger. "This is real." She looked up at Nick in complete wonder.  
  
Nick chuckled and squeezed her hand. "It's very real." He leaned in and kissed her again very softly. "Should we go back?"  
  
She grinned at him through her tears and nodded. "I can't believe this." She pulled Nick into another kiss before they turned away from the sunset toward the hotel.  
  
As they turned, they realized they had an audience. Sara glanced over at Nick and started to giggle. "I think they all already know."  
  
Nick started to laugh. "Your deductive reasoning skills are amazing."  
  
"That's why I'm such a damn fine CSI." She smiled and then looked at her hand again. "You asked me to marry you." She stopped and looked at him, tears starting all over again.  
  
"You said yes." He grinned at her and there were tears of happiness brimming in his eyes.  
  
"I love you, Nick." Sara leaned up and kissed him softly. The sound of clapping could be heard coming from the hotel.  
  
Nick glanced over at the line of people against the railing. "From the smiles on their faces, I'd say they're pretty pleased."  
  
As they rejoined the reception, they received a round of applause as Sara lifted her hand for the whole world to see. A grin was stretched across her face. "Nick proposed."  
  
Chloe giggled as she pulled Sara into a hug. "We watched you two on the beach. It was like watching a romantic silent movie. Oh, Sara, I'm so excited for you. I hope you and Nick will be as happy as Ben and I are."  
  
"Thanks, Chloe." Sara grinned at her friend and suddenly, she was glad that Chloe had called her out of the blue and hadn't taken no for an answer about attending her wedding.  
  
Kelly burst through the crowd of guests and rushed up to Sara. "That was the most romantic thing I've ever seen in my entire life." She hugged Sara and squealed. "Let me see your ring!" Her mouth went wide as she looked at the ring. She glanced at Nick and grinned. "You did that when we picked up the gift."  
  
Nick just nodded and as that realization hit Sara she couldn't help but start to cry again. Nick enveloped her in a hug and through her tears she managed to whisper. "I love you so much, Nick. This all seems like a dream."  
  
"It is a dream, Sara. It's a dream come true. I love you." He whispered so softly only she could hear him. 


	9. Talking

After the reception was over, Nick and Sara strolled back to their room hand in hand. Sara kicked her shoes off as they entered and walked over and sat on the bed just staring at the ring on her finger. Nick couldn't restrain his grin as he hung up his suit jacket and took his shoes off. He walked over and sat on the bed next to her. She glanced up at him smiling. "I still can't believe you proposed to me."  
  
"I still can't believe you said yes." Nick looked at her in wonder.  
  
Sara studied him for a minute. "Let's talk." She scooted up and leaned against the headboard.  
  
Nick chuckled softly and scooted up to sit next to her. "Ok. What do you want to talk about?"  
  
Sara linked her arm through his and stared at her hand again. "How did you know I would say yes?"  
  
He looked at her very seriously. "I didn't."  
  
"But you bought this ring." Sara was dumbstruck.  
  
He nodded and looked her in the eye. "I did. I knew I was in love with you, and I knew I needed to tell you."  
  
Sara held out her hand and played with how the diamond refracted the light from the lamp sitting on the bedside table.  
  
"I also knew that I didn't just want to date you. I've been in love with you for a while and I knew that I could see myself growing old with you."  
  
Sara glanced at him with an amused smile.  
  
"Of course, some of us will remain timeless." He nudged her with his elbow and grinned.  
  
Sara giggled. "Remind me to thank your mom and sisters for putting you through the Stokes charm school."  
  
Nick leaned over and kissed Sara's cheek. "I will."  
  
Sara rested her head against Nick's shoulder. "I still can't believe you asked me to marry you. No one is going to believe this."  
  
Nick chuckled. "I think when they see that ring on your finger; the evidence will speak for itself."  
  
"Why did you buy it?" She wrinkled her brow as she studied the ring.  
  
"It looked like it was made for you. And I decided that if you told me that you loved me too that I was going to ask you to marry me. I didn't think you'd take me too seriously if I just asked you. I wanted you to know I meant it and when I saw that ring on your finger at Tiffany's, I knew I had to buy it for you." Nick let out a contented sigh.  
  
"You meant everything you said at the rehearsal dinner, didn't you?" Sara glanced at him with a lopsided smile.  
  
He nodded. "Yeah, I did. You did too, didn't you?" He raised an eyebrow inquisitively.  
  
She nodded. "Yeah. Nothing like telling the truth when the other person thinks you're lying."  
  
Nick chuckled. "I'll have to remember that as an interrogation technique."  
  
"That's why you're such a damn good CSI." Sara remarked flexing her hand to see how the light played off the sapphires flanking the diamond. "You really proposed to me." Sara was still trying to get the idea to sink in.  
  
Nick chuckled. "And you said yes." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. "Now that I think about it, this is another reason I bought that ring."  
  
Sara giggled. "Oh, because I still can't quite believe it?"  
  
"Exactly." He grinned at her. "You'd wake up in the morning and wonder if this really happened. Of course you wouldn't want to ask me if it had in case it hadn't and I'd be too stupid to realize why you were so quiet and we'd get all the way back to Vegas without saying a word."  
  
Sara giggled again. "You know, it scares me that you can read my mind."  
  
"Don't worry, Sara, I can't read it all the time." Nick chuckled softly.  
  
Her cheeks started to turn a little pink. "Good."  
  
Nick glanced over at her and started laughing. "Now I'd really like to know what's going on inside that pretty head of yours."  
  
She tried to swallow her smile unsuccessfully.  
  
Nick decided to change the subject. "What time do you want to leave in the morning?"  
  
She let out a sigh. "I suppose we should leave early, we both have to work tomorrow night."  
  
Nick glanced at his watch and chuckled. He loosened his tie and pulled it off, setting it on the bedside table. "It's already early. If we're going to get any sleep at all, we should probably go to bed."  
  
Sara giggled. "We're already in bed, Nick."  
  
Nick smiled. "Well, we're not exactly dressed for it."  
  
"I don't feel like moving right now." Sara slid her arm around his waist and let out a contented sigh as she studied her ring.  
  
Nick shook his head and grinned. "Can we at least lay down then? As much as I love you and I love your ring, I'm driving us back to Vegas in the morning and I need a little sleep."  
  
Sara giggled again. "Ok. But I'm not tired."  
  
They scooted down the bed so they could lie down. Sara nestled herself next to Nick and continued to flex her hand.  
  
Nick couldn't help but laugh. "You're not going to get any sleep, are you?"  
  
Sara leaned up and kissed him softly. "Probably not. I'm a little too distracted by all of this. This entire day has been a little overwhelming."  
  
Nick cupped her face in his hand and kissed her again. "Yeah, it has. I love you, Sara."  
  
Sara beamed at him. "I love you, Nick."  
  
Nick laid his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes as Sara cuddled against him, laying her head on his shoulder. Nick was asleep in minutes. Sara, however, couldn't bear to go to sleep for fear that she'd wake up and this whole thing would just be a wonderful dream. 


	10. Waking

When Nick woke up, he was struck by the irony of the situation. The previous morning, before he'd told Sara he loved her, before Sara confessed she loved him too, before he asked her to marry him, he had woken up to find a half naked Sara Sidle laying across his chest. This morning, the morning after he told her he wanted to grow old with her, after she'd accepted his proposal, after she stared at her engagement ring forever, he had woken up still dressed in the clothes he wore to her friend's wedding and Sara still wore her dress, including the string of pearls. He wondered how long it had taken her to fall asleep. He grinned as he looked down at her left hand, still resting against his chest. That ring was definitely meant for her. He looked at her face as she slept and he felt a sudden rush of contentment. He was going to marry Sara Sidle and he was going to be the man who had the privilege of watching her wake up every morning.  
  
He silently wondered what the rest of the night shift crew would think about the whole situation. For some reason, he didn't think that Warrick would be surprised that he'd gone so far as to propose, he'd been dropping hints to Nick for a while that he thought he had a thing for Sara. What would shock him though, is that Sara had actually said yes. It would shock them all.  
  
She began to stir against him, not quite waking up. Nick watched as her hand flexed and then stiffened. Her eyes fluttered open and she lifted her head abruptly, let out a sigh as her hand relaxed and put her head back on Nick's shoulder.  
  
Nick couldn't help but laugh.  
  
She lifted her head again and a smile flickered across her face. Her voice was sleepy. "What?"  
  
"You didn't get any sleep did you?" Nick sounded amused.  
  
She looked sheepish. "A little."  
  
Nick wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Sar."  
  
Sara let out a sigh. "I love you too. I was afraid I'd wake up and it would all be a dream."  
  
Nick reached up and caressed her cheek with his thumb. "It's no dream, it's real." He leaned in and softly kissed her.  
  
They exchanged soft warm kisses for a while, savoring the taste of each other's lips. As they broke apart, Sara looked at Nick with a bewildered expression. "All of this is going to take some getting used to."  
  
Nick searched her eyes. "I know what you mean. I'm so used to trying to hide how I feel about you."  
  
Sara giggled. "Me too." She laid her head back onto his shoulder and flexed her hand. "What time is it?"  
  
Nick raised his arm and looked at his watch. "It's about seven. We should probably get on the road soon if we're going to get to work on time tonight."  
  
"Not yet." Sara propped herself up and looked down at him with a coy expression. "I want to kiss you again."  
  
Nick chuckled. "I think we can make time for that." He leaned up and kissed her long and deep.  
  
When they finally broke apart Sara whimpered. Their eyes locked and smiles spread across their faces. She began to giggle. "You make me forget my name when you kiss like that."  
  
Nick just grinned.  
  
Sara glanced at her ring again and flexed her hand.  
  
"It's a good thing we work the night shift." Nick remarked with a lopsided grin.  
  
Sara raised an eyebrow at him. "Huh?"  
  
"If we worked days, you'd be so busy flashing that in the sunlight, you'd never be able to concentrate on your case." He looked both amused and filled with pride.  
  
An embarrassed smile flashed across her face. She leaned down and kissed him quickly, pulling away and pushing herself to a sitting position. "I'm going to take a shower so we can get on the road."  
  
Nick grinned at her. "Have I told you today that I love you?"  
  
She giggled. "I think you might have mentioned it once or twice. I love you too."  
  
Nick closed his eyes as Sara disappeared into the bathroom to take a shower. He was absolutely amazed at the events of the last twenty-four hours. The thought occurred to him that he'd better call his parents and tell them about Sara. He wondered if he should wait for Sara, but then thought perhaps that might be a little too overwhelming. He picked up the phone and dialed his parent's number.  
  
His mother was pleased as always to hear his voice and filled him in on all the latest news from his siblings. After a few minutes of small talk, his mother asked what she always asked when he called. "So, Nicky, when are you going to find a nice girl to settle down with?"  
  
Nick chuckled. "I'm glad you asked."  
  
That threw his mother for a loop and she was silent on the other end of the line.  
  
"Mom, do you remember Sara?" His parents had been out of visit the previous year and had taken the entire night crew out for breakfast after they'd gotten off work so they could meet them all.  
  
"Yes. She's a nice girl." There was a question in her tone.  
  
"I asked her to marry me, Mom." Nick tried to keep his tone even, but couldn't restrain his smile.  
  
"And?" Her tone was definitely one that indicated that she knew where the conversation was going, but she was going to let him tell the story.  
  
"She said yes." Nick chuckled softly. "Can you believe that, Mom? She said yes."  
  
"Oh, Nicky, I'm so happy for you both." Nick's mom sounded like she was crying happy tears.  
  
Nick filled his mom in on a few more of the details and then ended the call as Sara emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a robe with a towel around her hair. He just grinned at her. "I called my parents."  
  
She grinned. "We're really getting married."  
  
He nodded and pulled himself off of the bed. "Yes, we are." He walked over and leaned down to kiss her softly. "I'm going to take a shower."  
  
Sara couldn't wipe the smile off of her face as she stared down at her ring. Nick disappeared into the bathroom and she pulled the towel off of her head and pulled some clothes out to wear on the way home and began packing. She had come across the little outfit she'd bought the previous day and smiled at the irony. She had no intention of taking it back now.  
  
By the time Nick emerged from the bathroom dressed in a pair of faded blue jeans and a gray LVPD T-shirt, Sara was dressed and was closing her suitcase. He quickly packed his things. They grabbed a quick breakfast in the hotel restaurant and then loaded their things in the SUV to head back to Vegas. 


	11. Vegas

Sara sat at the break room table sipping a cup of coffee. Shift wasn't set to begin for another hour, but she really didn't want to sit at home any longer. She and Nick had grabbed a quick breakfast at the hotel before loading the SUV and heading back to Vegas. In the comfort of the vehicle and with Nick holding her hand most of the drive, she fell into a deep sleep. She glanced up at the clock and chuckled. Nick was probably still sleeping. He had dropped her off and they had shared several long deep kisses before she had made him go home and get a few hours of sleep before work. She wondered silently if she should call him, but decided against it. If anyone walked in while they were talking, there was no way she would be able to suppress her grin. She didn't want anyone to have help guessing what had transpired between them over the weekend. They were just going to have to figure it out on their own. She glanced at her hand and grinned. She still could not believe that Nick had actually proposed to her. And on one knee at that. The ring really was spectacular and she couldn't help but stare at it.  
  
Her cell phone rang. She glanced at the display before she answered it and a smile spread across her face. "I was just thinking about you." She giggled.  
  
"Oh, really." Nick sounded sleepy. "I was thinking about you too."  
  
"I was thinking about calling to see if you were awake." Sara knew that if anyone walked into the break room at that moment they would know she was in love with someone.  
  
"Where are you?" Nick sounded like he was stretching.  
  
"At work." She chuckled.  
  
Nick laughed. "Why doesn't that surprise me?"  
  
"Because I'm a damn fine dedicated CSI, that's why." She couldn't help but giggle.  
  
"I can't wait to see you." Nick's voice had a hint of longing in it.  
  
"Me too." Sara grinned. "Hurry up and get here."  
  
"I love you." There was a lot of emotion in his voice.  
  
"I love you too." Sara replied in earnest.  
  
"Ok, I'll see you in a few minutes." Nick hung up.  
  
"Don't speed." Sara chided, but he'd already ended the call. She let out a sigh and tried to concentrate on the forensics journal sitting in front of her as she sipped her coffee. She was in the middle of an article when Warrick sauntered in.  
  
"Hey, girl." Warrick smiled at her.  
  
Sara grinned. "Hi."  
  
"Did Nick behave himself at your friend's wedding?" Warrick had the 'big brother' face on.  
  
Sara could tell that he was concerned that perhaps Nick had hit on some of her friends when he was supposed to be there to escort her to the wedding. She chuckled. "He was a perfect gentleman, Warrick."  
  
Warrick nodded and walked over to get himself a cup of coffee. He sat down at the table diagonally from her and raised a curious eyebrow at her. "What are you reading?"  
  
She glanced up. "Oh, it's an article on advances in DNA." She took a sip from her coffee and set the open journal down on the table.  
  
Catherine walked purposefully into the break room and headed directly for the coffee. "Hey, Sara, how was your friend's wedding?"  
  
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." She grinned. She was pretty sure none of them would believe what had transpired that weekend. She kept her left hand under the table, resting it on her leg.  
  
Catherine chuckled and took a sip from her coffee and came and sat down directly across from Sara. "Try me, we live in Vegas, remember?"  
  
Sara smiled. "Well, let's see. I got drunk at the bachelorette party." She turned the page of the journal, scanning the page.  
  
Catherine glanced at Warrick. "That I would have liked to have seen."  
  
Sara continued. "I threw up on Nick." She glanced up at Warrick and Catherine and smiled.  
  
Warrick sputtered on his coffee. "Damn. I bet he was pissed."  
  
Sara shook her head and turned her attention back to the forensics journal. "No, like I said, he was a perfect gentleman."  
  
"How much did you drink, Sidle?" Warrick queried her.  
  
Sara chuckled. "You know, I lost count after the fourth drink. Chloe and Kelly kept filling them. I don't think they wanted me to leave the party."  
  
"How was the actual wedding?" Catherine inquired taking another sip of her coffee.  
  
"Let's see, one of the candle lighters knocked over the candelabras. The bridesmaids' stiletto heels kept sinking in the sand. One of them actually sprained her ankle. And the flower girl decided to fling flower petals into the faces of the guests after pitching a major fit." Sara chuckled as she remembered the scene. "Oh, but the rest of the wedding was fine. Chloe and Ben looked really happy."  
  
Catherine laughed. "I hope they video taped it. Did they do the bouquet toss?"  
  
Sara smiled. "Yeah, they did." She glanced back down to the forensics journal.  
  
Catherine deadpanned. "You caught it, didn't you?"  
  
Sara chuckled. "More like Chloe threw it at me."  
  
"I bet Nick found that amusing." Warrick quipped.  
  
"Actually, he caught the garter." Sara continued not looking at either one of them.  
  
Catherine started to laugh. "I would have paid money to have seen that."  
  
Sara smiled as she heard footsteps approaching. She glanced up as Nick walked into the break room. Her smiled widened into a grin as he walked in.  
  
Nick's grin was just as large as he walked over to the coffee machine to fill a cup. "Hey."  
  
"Nick." Warrick greeted.  
  
"Hi, Nicky." Catherine smiled at him. "Sara was just telling us that you caught the garter."  
  
"Yes, I did." His grin widened as he sat down next to Sara. A fact that did not go unnoticed by Warrick and Catherine.  
  
However, what happened next really caught their attention.  
  
Sara absentmindedly reached up and brushed a piece of her hair that had fallen into her eyes behind her ear with her left hand. A simple gesture, but when the diamond in her ring caught the light from the fluorescent bulbs that lit the room, Catherine gasped.  
  
"What is that on your hand?!" There was disbelief in Catherine's voice.  
  
Nick tried to swallow his grin as Sara just extended her hand out into the middle of the table. As casually as possible she tried to answer Catherine's question. She couldn't keep the grin off of her face. "Uh, it's a ring, Catherine."  
  
Catherine grabbed her hand and with her mouth hanging open she just stared at Sara. "Where did you get it?"  
  
Warrick just sat there shaking his head. The pieces were sliding nicely together. From the satisfied grins on both of there faces he knew damn well where that ring had come from, he just couldn't believe it.  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow and leaned over to look closely at the ring. "Looks like it's from Tiffany's." He glanced up at Sara meeting her eyes and grinning.  
  
"What's from Tiffany's?" Grissom walked in ready to hand out assignments with Greg in tow and noticed the strange expressions on the rest of the night shift's faces.  
  
"Sara's ring." Catherine replied, still looking a bit dumbfounded.  
  
Greg looked flustered. "What ring?"  
  
Sara held up her hand and wiggled her fingers. "This one."  
  
"That's your left hand." Greg sputtered in disbelief.  
  
Sara nodded and glanced around the table with amusement. "See I always knew Greg would make a great CSI."  
  
Grissom glanced around the room. He furrowed his brow trying to fathom the situation. If Sara was wearing a diamond ring on her left hand, that only meant one thing. He looked confused. "Who, who gave it to you?"  
  
Sara couldn't restrain her grin any longer and looked over at Nick who was smiling just as widely as she was. "Nick." Then she leaned in a softly kissed him. 


	12. Wedding Gifts

The day dawned bright and clear. The southern California skies were a lovely shade of azure blue streaked with the occasional cloud and at that hour, only seagulls and a few early risers walked the beach of Coronado Island. Today was special. This was the day that Nick Stokes would marry Sara Sidle.

Initially, the entire lab was completely shocked at their surprise engagement. No one besides Warrick had even known that Nick was interested in Sara, and absolutely no one had ever thought Sara was interested in Nick. With perhaps the exception of Grissom himself, they all thought she'd be carrying a torch for Grissom until her dying day. He had noticed subtle changes in her since he turned down her dinner invitation, and he realized with a bittersweet note, that the signs were all there, she had in fact moved on. 

Over the weeks following their engagement, it became obvious to anyone paying attention that Nick and Sara were deeply in love, in fact if they applied their skills of investigation and observation and looked back, it was fairly easy to see that they'd been in love with each other for some time, but had been keeping those feelings hidden. Now that the entire world was privy to know how much they loved each other, it was obvious especially in the little things. It was in the way Sara's smile broadened when she saw Nick, in the way Nick would hold a door open for Sara, and in the way they finished each other's sentences. Their relationship did nothing to detract from their ability to do their job, it seemed to enhance it.

In short, they made sense. They seemed to be two pieces of a whole. So when they announced just four weeks after their engagement that they planned to get married on the beach in front of the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego six weeks later, no one was really all that surprised.

Sara had asked Chloe to be her matron of honor, and Nick had asked his brother Mike to be his best man. Grissom pulled down a few favors and was able to get Ecklie and his crew to cover the nightshift for the weekend so that everyone would be able to attend Nick and Sara's wedding.

Sara was surprised when she awoke that morning that she wasn't nervous. She had assumed that every bride would be nervous, but instead, she was giddy. She couldn't wait to marry Nick. She hadn't seen Nick since the night before, because everyone said it was bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other before the wedding. As she pulled herself out of bed, a soft knock sounded at the door of her hotel room. She pulled her robe on and padded her way over to the door cracking it open to reveal Warrick standing there.

"Hey, girl. Nick wanted me to give you something." Warrick was smiling. Of everyone, he had been the most supportive right off the bat.

Sara yawned as she reached out for the small package Warrick held out for her. She had to chuckled. It was a small Tiffany's bag with a card inside. "As much as I love getting gifts from him, I hope he doesn't make a habit of buying me things from Tiffany's. We'll go broke."

Warrick laughed. "You love the attention and you know it, Sidle."

She giggled. "I do. But still, we're going to go broke if he keeps shopping there."

"I'll let him know you'd rather get a wedding gift from Dino's Pawn Shop." Warrick teased.

Sara smirked. "Very funny. Wait a second. I have something I want you to give him." She disappeared into the room and returned to the door a couple of moments later with a small wrapped gift with a card attached. She held it out to Warrick and smiled. "Tell him that I can't wait to marry him."

"I will." Warrick grinned. "And Sara, he wanted me to tell you the same thing."

Sara shut the door and crawled back into bed, taking a long look at the bag before she pulled out the card. As she read it, tears began to stream down her face. She couldn't believe what an incredible man Nick was.

__

'Sara,

You are the love of my life, the most amazing woman I know, and I'm privileged to marry you today. From the moment I met you, your smile began to capture my heart. I cannot wait until I see you dressed in splendor to marry me. You're going to marry me, a thought that leaves me speechless. I cannot fathom what I've done to deserve someone as amazing as you are. If I could fill all the books in the world with words of love, they would not even begin to express how deep my love for you is. So on this day when we'll commit to be together forever, please accept this gift as a token of my love for you.

All my love is yours eternally,

Nick'

Sara was smiling through her tears and she reached into the bag to pull out a signature Tiffany's box tied with a white satin ribbon. She opened it to reveal a silver heart shaped locket. A locket that she'd looked at when they'd gone to pick out a wedding band for Nick.

The phone rang and as Sara picked it up, she knew who it would be. She smiled as she heard Nick's voice. "I love you, Sara."

"I love you, Nick." Sara still had tears running down her face. "I can't wait to marry you."

"I can't wait to marry you." Nick's voice was thick with emotion. "Thank you for the poem, babe, I love it. The handkerchief was a good idea too."

Sara giggled. "I think I should have gotten one for myself." She wiped the tears from her eyes. "That's only part of your present, you'll have to wait till later for the rest."

Nick chuckled. "I can hardly wait."

They stayed on the line a few more minutes, just listening to each other breathe, neither of them uncomfortable with the silence.

"We should get ready, we have a big day today." Sara grinned, excitement was evident in her voice.

"Yeah, I can't wait to see you." Nick's voice was earnest.

They hung up and each of them began to prepare for the day.


	13. The Big Moment

By the time the ceremony began just before sunset, the beach had been transformed. Votive candles lined the walkway down onto the beach and lanterns hung from posts that had been set into the sand. As the guests were seated, there was an air of anticipation. Finally, the ceremony began. Nick and his brother Mike took their places at the front with the pastor who would perform the ceremony and waited. Two of Nick's nieces, Clara and Emma, scattered rose petals on the pale runner as they walked up the aisle. His nephew Brandon carried the rings on a pillow. Chloe walked up the aisle to join them and then the moment they had all waited for was upon them. 

Sara stood at the edge of the beach on the arm of her father. As they made their way up the aisle, the sight of her took Nick's breath away. She was a vision. 

As Sara approached, all she saw was Nick, standing there waiting for her. She didn't notice the candles, or the flower girls, the guests, or even the sound of the waves crashing on the beach behind them as the sun set. All she saw was Nick.

They turned toward each other, holding onto each other's hands as they exchanged their vows. They had some sort of recollection that the pastor was saying something about the importance of the vow of marriage and that the rings they exchanged symbolized an unending love, but they only had eyes for each other.

There was a ripple of laughter through the crowd when for the second time the pastor had to ask Nick to kiss his bride. They had been so mesmerized with each other, they hadn't heard him the first time. Nick grinned and leaned down to kiss Sara in a soft passion infused kiss.

As they turned to face the crowd of their family and friends, the pastor announced them. "It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you for the very first time Mr. and Mrs. Nick Stokes. The ceremony is over, let the celebration begin!"

They made their way to the reception, and as everyone gathered around the dance floor, Nick and Sara stepped out to take their first dance together as husband and wife to the strains of 'Amazed'.

__

Every time our eyes meet  
This feeling inside me  
Is almost more than I can take  
Baby when you touch me  
I can feel how much you love me  
And it just blows me away

I've never been this close to anyone or anything  
I can hear your thoughts  
I can see your dreams  
I don't know how you do what you do  
I'm so in love with you  
It just keeps getting better  
I wanna spend the rest of my life

With you by my side  
Forever and ever  
Every little thing that you do

Baby I'm amazed by you

"Oh, Sara, I love you so much." Nick whispered as he held her close.

"I love you." Sara whispered back.

  
_The smell of your skin  
The taste of your kiss  
The way you whisper in the dark  
Your hair all around me  
Baby you surround me  
You touch every place in my heart  
Oh it feels like the first time every time  
I wanna spend the whole night in your eyes_

"I can't wait to be with you tonight." Nick's voice was husky.

"That's when you'll get the rest of your present." Sara smiled. "Remember what I bought the last time we were here? I thought I'd model it for you."

"Mmmn." Nick leaned down and kissed Sara softly.

__

I don't know how you do what you do  
I'm so in love with you  
It just keeps getting better  
I wanna spend the rest of my life  
With you by my side  
Forever and ever  
Every little thing that you do  
Baby I'm amazed by you

"You are so beautiful, Sara." Nick searched her eyes.

"We just got married." Sara grinned, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Mrs. Stokes." Nick grinned back.

__

Every little thing that you do  
I'm so in love with you  
It just keeps getting better  
I wanna spend the rest of my life  
With you by my side  
Forever and ever  
Every little thing that you do  
Oh, every little thing that you do  
Baby I'm amazed by you.

As the song ended, Sara danced with her father and Nick with his mother. Other couples slowly drifted onto the dance floor. As Nick and Sara sat down to take a break, they noticed something taking place on the dance floor that caught their interest.

"Do you think he knows what he's getting himself into?" Nick queried Sara as he gestured toward Greg.

Sara giggled. "He could be good for her. She's not a bad person, I mean, look what she did for us." She pointed toward Kelly.

Greg and Kelly were dancing up a storm and seemed to be totally absorbed in each other.

Sara leaned toward Nick and whispered. "What do you think about trying on them what Chloe and Ben did to us?"

Nick chuckled. "I like the idea. You just make sure she catches the bouquet, and I'll make sure Greg gets the garter. Then we'll just let tradition take its course."

"I like how you think, Mr. Stokes." Sara grinned conspiratorially.

"I like how you think, Mrs. Stokes." Nick melted when he looked into her eyes. "I can't believe I get to call you that. We're married." 

Sara leaned over and softly kissed him. "I know. I'm so excited to be your wife."

The DJ announced it was time for Sara to throw the bouquet. Nick winked at her as she stood up and made her way out onto the dance floor. As the single women gathered, Sara took note of where Kelly was standing and aimed the bouquet directly at her. Kelly squealed in delight as she ran over to Sara and hugged her. After posing for a picture with Sara, Kelly made her way back to her table.

A few moments later, the DJ announced that it was time to toss the garter. Nick knelt down on the dance floor as the single men gathered and pulled Sara's foot onto his thigh, discretely sliding his hand up her dress to retrieve the garter. As he stood, he leaned over and softly kissed her. "I love you, babe."

Sara beamed at him.

Nick glanced over his shoulder to see where Greg was standing before flinging the garter in his direction. As Greg caught the garter, Kelly squealed. It seemed that Nick and Sara's plan was going to be easier than they thought.

Greg and Kelly posed for a picture with Nick and Sara and then Sara pulled a Chloe on them. "You have to kiss her Greg. It's tradition. Then you two have to dance."

Kelly giggled and Greg just grinned as he leaned in to kiss her.

The DJ put on a slow sentimental song and the dance floor filled with couples as Nick and Sara disappeared to take a walk on the beach.

*~*~*~*

A/N: The song "Amazed" is by Lonestar.


	14. Cake and a Toast

The stars were blinking on one by one as the moon rose over the Pacific Ocean. Nick and Sara strolled hand in hand down the beach, enjoying the silence and each other's company. They stopped a short distance down the beach from the hotel and Nick pulled her into his embrace. "I've been wanting to be alone with you all day." He breathed in the scent of her hair.  
  
"Mmn. I've been wanting to be with you too." Sara let out a deep sigh and relaxed against him as her arms went around his waist under the jacket of his tux.  
  
"Do you think they'll notice that we're gone?" Nick queried.  
  
"Probably, but it is our wedding." Sara giggled.  
  
"Can I tell you something?" Nick kissed her cheek.  
  
"Anything, baby." Sara inhaled the scent that was uniquely Nick.  
  
"You are the most beautiful bride I've ever seen." Nick let out a sigh.  
  
"Well, you're the most handsome groom I've ever seen." Sara whispered in response.  
  
"I can't wait for tonight." Nick murmured against her ear.  
  
Sara's voice was husky. "I'm glad we waited."  
  
Nick chuckled. "Even if it wasn't on purpose."  
  
"Yeah, but it'll just be that much sweeter." Sara leaned back in his embrace and looked up into his eyes. "Let's make sure that we tell Grissom he'd better schedule our nights off together, that's the biggest reason we've waited this long in the first place. I don't want to miss out on the joys of marital bliss with you because we're working."  
  
Nick reached up and cupped her face, caressing her cheek with his thumb. "Let's not talk about work. We just got married."  
  
Sara giggled. "Yes, we did. And I've got something to model for you later. I hope you like it."  
  
Nick chuckled. "I'm sure I will. I just hope you don't mind that I don't plan on letting you wear it very long."  
  
Sara laughed a deep throaty laugh. "I think that's the point of lingerie in the first place, Nick."  
  
Nick leaned down and kissed Sara deeply. They stood there exchanging soft deep kisses for a while before pulling apart.  
  
Nick grinned. "We should get back so we can make a proper exit." He took her hand in his and they began to walk back towards the hotel.  
  
Sara giggled. "I wonder how Kelly and Greg are making out."  
  
Nick laughed. "They're probably doing just that. Making out."  
  
Sara smirked. "That's not what I meant, but you may just be right."  
  
As they neared the hotel, they noticed a couple engaged in a passionate kiss in the semi-darkness of the beach. As they got closer, the profiles were distinctly recognizable and seemed to be oblivious to anything but each other.  
  
Nick and Sara continued back to the reception, trying to contain their amusement at what they'd witnessed. As they rejoined their guests, they were greeted by Greg and Kelly. Kelly as usual was gushing. "Everyone's been looking for you."  
  
Nick grinned at Sara. "We just took a little walk."  
  
Greg laughed. "Well, you're going to have mutiny on your hands if you don't cut the cake soon."  
  
Nick glanced around the dance floor and noticed his nieces and nephews chasing each other through the crowd of couples dancing. He glance at Sara and grinned. "Shall we, Mrs. Stokes?" He offered her his arm.  
  
She giggled and leaned up to kiss him.  
  
Nick led Sara toward the cake and as he stood next to her he addressed the crowd. "Sorry we made you all wait. I just wanted to take a walk on the beach in the moonlight with my wife." The grin on his face was priceless.  
  
A ripple of laughter spread through the crowd.  
  
"I want cake, Uncle Nick!" Nick's niece Emma started to shout and before long all of his nieces and nephews were chanting. "Cake! Cake! Cake!"  
  
Sara couldn't help but giggle. "No wonder Greg said there was going to be mutiny."  
  
Nick grinned at her. "Just you wait until we have our own kids."  
  
Sara tilted her head coyly. "Well since they'll have the best dad in the world, I'm sure they'll be perfect little angels."  
  
Nick leaned over and kissed Sara. "You are amazing. You're wrong about kids being perfect little angels, but you're amazing."  
  
"Would you two stop talking and cut the cake?" Nick's brother Mike looked thoroughly amused. He gestured toward all the kids. "My kids are out of control enough and Michelle's kids are right behind them, so cut me a little a slack here little brother, I'm sure you two would really like to get out of here anyway."  
  
Nick grinned and there was a faint blush in Sara's cheeks, but she was grinning just as wide. They carefully cut the cake and Sara raised an eyebrow in warning toward Nick as he lifted the cake to her lips.  
  
The crowd kept yelling for Nick to smash the cake in her face.  
  
He chuckled. "The last thing I want to do, darlin', is piss you off on our wedding day." Sara just grinned as she ate the bite of cake he offered her.  
  
She lifted a piece up to his mouth and a mischievous grin flickered across her face. She let him get the cake about halfway in before smearing it across his lips.  
  
The crowd cheered, and laughter erupted.  
  
Nick raised his eyebrows in surprise and amusement and pulled Sara against him so he could kiss her. She giggled against his lips as she tasted the frosting. They shared several sticky kisses until almost all the frosting had disappeared from Nick's lips. As they pulled apart, Nick grinned at her. "You did that on purpose."  
  
She nodded with a coy smile. "Uh, huh. I just wanted to kiss you." She reached up and wiped a tiny bit of frosting from his lips that they'd missed.  
  
Nick laughed softly. "You don't need an excuse you know. This is our wedding. Everyone expects us to be kissing." He leaned down and kissed her again.  
  
As they broke apart, Mike cleared his throat. "Not that I want to interrupt you, but it's sort of traditional for the best man and the matron of honor to give a toast." He gestured toward Chloe who stood next to him with Ben.  
  
Nick grinned at Sara as he answered his brother. "I was a little distracted here by my new wife."  
  
She giggled as she pulled away and looked up into his eyes. "We should probably let them make the toast because they're also expecting us to leave at some point."  
  
Mike chuckled and handed Nick and Sara each a glass of champagne. "Excuse me everyone. I'd like to make a toast to my little brother and his bride."  
  
The crowd turned their attention to Mike.  
  
Mike held up a glass of champagne. "To Nick and Sara. Nicky, you've been in love with Sara longer than you were willing to admit to anyone, but you talked about her like you talked about no other women, so we all knew that it was a matter of time."  
  
A ripple of laughter and a spattering of comments that confirmed Mike's observation moved throughout the crowd.  
  
"The more I see you two together, the more I know that you were meant for each other. Sara, it's obvious to all of us that Nick adores you. Welcome to the family. Cheers." Mike held up his glass and everyone toasted Nick and Sara.  
  
Chloe stepped up and smiled over at Sara. "Sara, I was so glad that you came to my wedding, and when I saw you with Nick, I knew that the two of you were meant for each other like Ben and I. Watching Nick propose to you out on the beach during my reception was one of the most romantic things I've ever seen. I'm glad to have been part of what got you and Nick together." She lifted her champagne glass. "Congratulations and best wishes on a long life filled with love and laughter. Cheers!"  
  
As everyone raised their glasses, one of Nick's sisters yelled out. "And lots of kids!"  
  
Sara blushed. She knew she wanted kids someday with Nick, but not quite yet.  
  
Nick yelled back. "Hey, we haven't even gotten to the honeymoon yet!"  
  
Sara looked up at him with a devilish smile and whispered. "Speaking of the honeymoon, maybe we should start saying goodbye, Mr. Stokes."  
  
Nick grinned at Sara and took her hand as they began to make their way through the crowd to say goodbye. Nick's sister Michelle seemed to want to talk all night. His sister Celia couldn't stop talking about Sara's dress. His mom kept trying to fix his bow tie. And it would have kept on going like this all night long if his brother Mike hadn't intervened. "You all remember what it was like to be a newlywed. Give Nicky and Sara a break and let them get out of here." He just grinned at Nick and Sara, giving them a wink as they finally left the circle of the Stokes clan.  
  
Sara's family was a little bit more understanding. Her parents hugged and kissed them both and then waved them off so they could leave.  
  
As they neared the rest of the night shift crew, they noticed an extra person among them. Kelly was very attached to Greg's arm and he didn't seem to mind one bit. They also noticed that two of their other coworkers looked slightly mussed and rumpled.  
  
Nick and Sara exchanged an amused glanced. They were both thinking the same thing. It was about time those two stopped ignoring what was right in front of them.  
  
Catherine stepped forward and gave Sara a hug. "You look beautiful, Sara. Nick's a lucky guy."  
  
Nick chuckled. "Yes, I am a lucky guy." He leaned over and whispered in Sara's ear. "And I'm pretty sure we're both going to getting lucky tonight." He was quite amused with himself.  
  
Sara just rolled her eyes and swatted at him, trying to ignore his comment. "Thanks, Catherine."  
  
Catherine had overheard Nick's comment though and she tilted her head as she deadpanned. "Nicky, it's usually a sure thing on your wedding night."  
  
Sara couldn't help but laugh and this time, it was Nick whose face was turning a nice shade of pink as a wide grin spread across his face.  
  
Warrick interjected. "Well, I'm sure you two don't want to stand around all night talking to us, I'm sure you have 'other things' you'd rather be doing."  
  
"Yes, we would." Nick couldn't contain his expression of love as he looked at Sara. "I just married the most beautiful amazing woman on the planet. You'd better believe I don't want to stand here talking to you guys all night."  
  
Sara looked over at Nick with a conspiratorial expression on her face. "Nick, I'm sure we're not the only ones who'd rather be doing other things, are we?"  
  
He chuckled and shook his head, knowing exactly who she was talking about. He thought he'd drop a hint that he was onto their little secret. "Hmm, you guys might all try a walk on the beach, Sara and I found it quite beautiful."  
  
"I find that the occasional stroll on the beach can do wonders for cleansing the soul. Anyone want to join me?" Grissom glanced over at the rest of the night shift crew.  
  
Greg chuckled. "No offense, Grissom, but Kelly and I kind of want to be alone."  
  
Kelly gushed. "Sara you and Nick look so cute. Thanks for introducing me to Greg. He's a dream."  
  
Sara had to giggle as she looked at Nick. They were right; Kelly and Greg could be perfect for each other.  
  
"Yeah, Sara, I know it's tough you had to settle for Nick and all, I mean, there's only so much of me to go around. I'm glad you introduced me to Kel here." Greg was literally beaming, if not gushing himself. He and Kelly left with their arms linked together as they went out to take a walk on the beach.  
  
Grissom turned to Warrick and Catherine with a quizzical eyebrow raised. "Catherine? Warrick? Want to join me?"  
  
Catherine yawned. "Uh, sorry, Gil, I'm really tired, I think I'm just going to turn in." She hugged Nick and Sara again before making a quick exit.  
  
"Yeah, Catherine's right, it's been a long day. I think I'm going to turn in too." Warrick yawned to emphasize his point, rubbing the back of his neck. He gave Sara a quick hug and patted Nick on the back before turning and heading into the hotel.  
  
"Suit yourself." Grissom smiled a sort of half smile at Nick and Sara. "Congratulations. I'm happy for you both."  
  
Sara went over and hugged him. "Thanks for being here, Grissom."  
  
"I wouldn't have missed it for the world, Sara." Grissom's face had a full smile as he turned toward Nick and shook his hand. "Nicky, you're a lucky man."  
  
Nick grinned at Sara. "I know. I'm the luckiest man in the world."  
  
Grissom turned unceremoniously and strolled out onto the beach.  
  
Arm in arm, Nick and Sara headed toward one of the private cottages north of the main hotel where they would be spending their honeymoon. As they walked, Sara started to laugh. "Do they really think they're fooling anyone?"  
  
Nick chuckled. "I have a feeling that Warrick knows we're onto them, but I'm not sure about Catherine. As for Grissom, I don't think he has a clue that there's anything going on between them."  
  
"That doesn't surprise me." Sara leaned her head against Nick's shoulder.  
  
As they reached the door of the cottage, Nick scooped Sara up in his arms and she let out a surprised yelp. Nick looked at her with an amused expression. "I've got to carry you across the threshold." He couldn't stop grinning and neither could she. 


	15. The Love Bug

After leaving the reception, Catherine went back to her hotel room and called her sister in Vegas to see how Lindsey was doing. She had no sooner hung up the phone than she heard a soft tap at her door. A faint smile spread across her lips as she walked over and slowly opened the door.  
  
Warrick simply raised his eyebrows at her. "Nick and Sara know something's up."  
  
Catherine smiled. "I don't care." She reached out for his arm and pulled him into the room quickly shutting the door.  
  
Immediately they were in the midst of a passionate kiss. Clothing was unceremoniously discarded as they stumbled backwards, almost missing the bed.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"So, Kelly, what was it that you said you do?" Greg inquired of the perky blond.  
  
She giggled as they walked down the beach arm in arm. "I have my own company. It's an online dating service, matchmadeinheaven.com."  
  
Greg's eyebrows shot up. "I've heard of it."  
  
Kelly just shook her head in amusement. "Of course you have. I made over three million dollars last year."  
  
Greg grinned. "Maybe I could get a discount."  
  
Kelly crossed her arms in front of her body and pursed her lips. "I'm not giving you a discount, Greg."  
  
Greg looked sheepish. "Ok, I just thought." He mumbled.  
  
Kelly giggled and pulled him into a deep kiss. She grinned as she pulled away. "Why would I want any other woman to get a look at you. I was planning on keeping you for myself."  
  
Greg grinned and pulled her against him. "How often to do you get to Vegas?"  
  
She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I can work anywhere I want."  
  
Greg leaned down and kissed her, getting lost in the moment.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Grissom was enjoying his solitary stroll on the beach. He had to chuckle silently to himself at Greg's bluntness. It was obvious that the lab tech was quite taken with Sara's friend. As for Warrick and Catherine, he wondered to himself who they thought they were kidding. He wasn't the supervisor of the night shift CSI crew for nothing. He had noticed the looks that had passed between them and their rumpled appearance earlier was a dead giveaway. Still, if they wanted to keep things a secret from everyone, he wasn't going to pry. He let out an audible chuckle as he wondered what they would say if they knew that he knew that right now they were most likely getting much better acquainted with each other sans clothes.  
  
A movement across the sand caught his eye and he froze. Being the brilliant CSI he was, Grissom was always prepared. He pulled a small plastic vial out of his pocket and quickly, but gently grabbed the insect that threatened to scurry away. He pulled out his mini maglight to see what it was that he'd caught and made a startling discovery. Before him was an insect that he'd never seen before, one that he had only heard spoken about in mythological tones.  
  
A smile spread across Grissom's face as he realized he'd just discovered a previously undiscovered insect.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Still smiling, Nick set Sara down and pulled her against him as he kicked the door shut behind him. "I have waited for this moment since the day I met you."  
  
Sara smiled and snaked her arms around his neck. "Worth the wait?" Her eyes locked with his.  
  
"Hell yes." Nick leaned down and captured her lips with his own in passionate kiss.  
  
They slowly moved toward the bedroom in an age old dance.  
  
Much later, they lay tangled in each other's arms.  
  
"You know, I did promise you that I'd model that outfit for you." Sara sounded amused as she rested her chin on Nick's chest looking into his eyes as she lay against him, her fingers lightly trailing down his arm.  
  
"You can model it another time. Once I got you out of that dress, you putting on clothes wasn't exactly what was on my mind." Nick replied with a chuckle, his arm wrapping more tightly around her waist.  
  
"Mine either." Sara giggled. "I only wish I could have seen the look on your face while you were fumbling with all those buttons."  
  
Nick laughed. "Whoever thought it was a good idea to put that many buttons on a wedding dress obviously wasn't a kind person."  
  
Sara tilted her head as a lopsided grin formed on her face. "Well Velcro isn't exactly fashionable for a wedding."  
  
"It may not be, but it sure would have been easier to get you out of that dress if it was fastened with Velcro." Nick reached up and caressed Sara's cheek with his fingers. "I can't believe I got to marry you."  
  
"I can't believe I got to marry you." Sara lifted herself up and leaned over to kiss him. As she pulled away, she looked into his eyes. "Are you tired?"  
  
He shook his head. "Not as long as you're naked and laying on top of me like this."  
  
Sara started to giggle. "I bet you say this to all your wives."  
  
"No, all the others were just mail order. I never even got to meet them." Nick quipped.  
  
"Are you going to lay there all night and crack jokes, or make love to me again?" Sara raised her eyebrow at him with a sultry expression on her face.  
  
Nick gripped her waist, rolling her over onto her back, looking down at her with a grin. "Is this a trick question? I can do more than one thing at a time you know."  
  
Sara giggled. "Shut up and kiss me." She cupped the back of his head and pulled him down to kiss her.  
  
They got lost in each other as they touched and tasted each other finally falling asleep tangled together as the sun slowly began to rise over the ocean. 


	16. Epilogue

When Nick and Sara returned from their honeymoon two weeks after their wedding, riding a wave of bliss, they found that the atmosphere in the lab had changed significantly in their absence, and not just because they'd gotten married. No one could remember the last time they'd seen Grissom so disgustingly happy. Since he'd discovered that insect on the beach, he'd done almost nothing in his off time besides study it. He'd consulted with other prominent entomologists around the globe via the internet and all were in agreement that they believed he had in fact discovered a previously unidentified insect. His discovery had made him the golden boy of the entomological world and to both the chagrin and delight of the Sheriff was generating quite a bit of publicity for the department. There were plans for him to hit the lecture circuit courtesy of the Smithsonian Institutes once he'd published a paper on it and given it a name.  
  
Greg seemed to have soared completely past Cloud 9 and seemed to be somewhere in the outer stratosphere. He and Kelly had become quite the item in just two weeks. Not only did he think that she was the most gorgeous woman he'd ever met, she was also a multimillionaire and she thought he was brilliant and amazing. She had decided to move her business operations to Vegas to be near Greg and over the last two weeks, Greg had discovered that there was a lot more to Kelly than her beautiful exterior, she had a depth to her that she kept hidden and he was just beginning to delve into it. Poor Archie and David were both sick with envy.  
  
Catherine and Warrick had continued sneaking around to see each other, not particularly fooling anyone. However, they decided to go public about their relationship when Nick and Sara, freshly back from their honeymoon walked into the locker room to find them in the throws of a passionate kiss. Warrick and Catherine tried to muddle through some sort of explanation, but when it became clear by the audience gathering at the door to the locker room that everyone was already well aware of their budding relationship, and had witnessed one or more encounters between them throughout the lab, they decided it was pointless to try and hide it. Lindsey was particularly thrilled.  
  
As for Nick and Sara, the newlyweds had a surprise brewing even they didn't know about quite yet. They would find out soon enough, for in about nine months, their family would be getting a little bigger.  
  
~ The End ~  
  
A/N: Thank you for all the reviews. You guys are all great. Special thanks to Brianna for being a great Beta. You rock, Batgirl. 


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